Separate Lives
by LisaVang
Summary: Rick gets the chance to asked Lisa for a date before she leaves the SDF1 for Earth...
1. One

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Robotech or any of the characters. The following fan fiction is written for entertainment purposes only.

**Separate Lives **

_CHAPTER ONE_

"It's too risky," Captain Gloval said.

"Captain, I have to try!" Lisa cried. "You and I know that we've been very lucky to have made it this far but how much longer?

Getting out of her seat, she put her hands on the Captain's desk and leaned into his space; willing him to listen to her.

"Defeat is inevitable for us, our Defense Force is exhausted, the supplies we took on before leaving Earth will probably last another five years if we ration. Where can we go, Captain? Without the fold system, we are sitting ducks and I'm just not talking about the SDF-1," her expression sobered now.

"I'm talking about Earth, the human race, if we don't come to an agreement or open the channel of negotiation with the Zentraedi, we will die. There are over a million Zentraedi battlecruisers out there that we know for sure and God knows how many more that we don't. When it arrives, and it will, we will be extinct. "

"It's not that I don't believe in the mission you're purposing, Lisa," Gloval finally said after a long pause. "It's my own selfishness that's prompting me to deny your request."

"What? I don't understand, Captain," Lisa grasped in surprised.

"There's going to be a battle, soon. When you've lived and been in as many wars as I have, you know these things. You feel it and it's going to be one of those battles that end wars and change history forever; in this case, the fate of the human race. The SDF-1 needs you at its helm when we go into that battle, Lisa."

Looking closely at Lisa now and trying to read her facial expression, Gloval asked. "Have you considered that once you leave, your father will never allow you to return?"

"Yes, I have, Captain but it's a risk I'm willing to take. It's my duty, Sir," Lisa replied. "I just can't stand by and watch the world die when I could have done something to prevent it."

Her voice softer now, she continued. "Thank you, sir, for your faith in me but I have faith in my crewmates, they will not let you down."

"Spoken like a true solider. You are your father's daughter," Gloval said and noticed the stiffening of her body, an indication that his comment had affected her negatively. "Your commitment to duty and ability to think on your feet are two values I admired most about you, Lisa."

Changing the topic, he continued. "Now, what makes you think the Council will listen to you this time?"

"The lab tests, Captain. I will give them the results of Dr. Lang's lab tests. The Council didn't hear us last time because they believed the Zentraedi could not be reason with, that we have nothing in common with them but now we know differently."

Getting up from behind his desk, Gloval walked over to his view port and stared into space then he nodded and exhaled loudly. "All right, you have my permission to leave, Lisa."

"I'll have the draft of my arguments for your approval first thing tomorrow morning, sir Thank you."

Lisa saluted and left.

In the next hour, between her and Claudia, they worked out a schedule for her departure and distributed her duties among the Trio but they both knew who would burden the bulk of her duties- Sammie.

"Don't worry about it, Lisa." Claudia said as she watched Lisa fret over the load Sammie would have to carry. "She's not you but she'll be fine. The experience will be good for her. We can't hold their hands forever. I'll give the data to the Captain. Go and get some rest. You earned it."

Lisa gave Claudia a tired smile, nodded and left the bridge.

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_These skirmishes are getting worse and worse,_ Rick thought to himself as he stared at the numbers lighting up in the elevator, indicating the different floors he'd passed. _It's exhausting me out. When is it ever going to end?_

Then he remembered Benson, Miller, and Stevenson the three new recruits who had just join Skull two days ago. _Gone, just like that, like they'd never existed at all. Too young, all of them were too young._

How he dreaded writing one of those letters to their loved ones but he knew he would have to, he owed it to them. They were his men, they were Skulls. Closing his eyes the image of Minmei in Kyle's arms, his lips on hers and she not doing anything to push him away flashed before him and he swore.

"Damn it, Minmei! Why?" Quickly he looked around, ready to apologize for his outburst but saw that he was alone now in the elevator.

_Admit it, Hunter, you'd lost her. She's beyond your reach now. _

Then he laughed sadly at himself when he realized that he'd never had her to begin with in the first place. She had always been beyond his reach even before she'd won the Miss Macross pageant and became a star.

_Who am I fighting to protect and to come back to if it's not Minmei anymore? _

Wearily his thoughts drifted to Lisa, his Commanding Officer and the First Officer of the SDF-1. Lisa, the other woman who he'd come to think about a lot lately when he was not thinking about Minmei, and who continues to confuse and frustrate him to no end.

Lisa, the woman who he'd come to regard as a friend and sometimes more...

She was brave in so many ways, timid in so many others. She baffled him frequently and intrigued him always these days. She was all closed up. A tightly wrapped box… that he wanted desperately to open…

He suddenly became conscious of a desire at the very thought of her and wanting to kiss her slowly without being ordered to. The idea chilled him yet it also sent electric shock through him and he didn't know which was worse.

_I wonder what she'd say if I asked her to dinner?_ And he smiled amusingly at the thought. _She'd probably have me thrown in the brig._

"Sourpuss" he chuckled at the nickname he'd given her when they first met two years ago. He still calls her that sometimes when she pissed him off or frustrated him into a corner. But it's become a private joke between them now, like an endearment of some sort that only they understood its origin.

_Lisa…_ the stoic, perfectly regal woman with cheekbones that could cut him if her emerald green eyes didn't first and he wondered where she was and what she was doing.

At that moment the elevator door opened and Lisa stood there. She looked to be deep in thoughts for she hadn't even noticed him yet. Worse she had a look about her that made her so vulnerable, lost and lonely to him. His stomach knotted and wondered what she was thinking about that had her so sad.

"Lisa."

Looking up when her name was called, Lisa saw Rick directly across from her.

"Rick!"

Startled she quickly walked into the elevator and the door closed behind her. She turned and they stood next to each other.

_Damned, I was hoping not to run into him. What do I say now?_ Lisa asked herself and bit her lower lip unconsciously.

"What floor?"

"What? Oh, my quarters… I was going to my quarters so I can write up my report for the Captain's approval tomorrow morning."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, she knew it was a mistake. She should have never mentioned anything at all. But seeing Rick so unexpectedly had startled her and she'd lost her train of thoughts; for she had been thinking about him and her longing to be closer to him on so many levels.

"What report?" Rick asked, interested now.

"It's nothing, Rick, just a routine report."

"Oh, in that case, would you like to have dinner with me tonight? I did promise you one, remember?"

Shocked her eyes widening and she swallowed hard. A flush swept over her face, all the way down to her neckline and she could only mutter out a few words.

"Are you- are you asking me for a date?"

"Umm… well, yes!" Rick said and looked a little surprised himself.

Lisa's stomach turned to jelly when she looked at him and saw him smiling at her. She bit her lip, feeling a wild urge to smile, to laugh and to cry for she couldn't believe it that this could be happening.

He could see the hesitation in her and he wondered why.

_Have I read her wrong? Had her poignant loneliness been an illusion? Great going, Hunter! Why don't you ever think before you speak? Maybe she had wanted to be alone tonight. Maybe she didn't want your company or sympathy._

"I think," she told him, her voice low and almost breathless, "I… yes, Rick, I would like to have dinner with you tonight."

His heart jumped at her answer but he managed to remain calm. "Okay. Good."

Then the silence stretched between them, not an uncomfortable one but one full of new awareness of each other and something exciting; something like hope and neither of them wanted to say anything that might break that feeling.

As the elevator door opened at Lisa's floor and she took a step out Rick suddenly remembered. "I'll pick you up in an hour. I need to take a quick shower first and change. It has been a very long day. Is that okay with you?"

Lisa blinked in dismay.

_How could she have forgotten? He'd just came back from a 12 hour shift and a major battle! They both did. _

"That would be fine, Rick," she said and quickly stepped out of the elevator, hoping he hadn't seen her blushing like a school girl. When the elevator door closed firmly behind her, she added, "I'll be waiting…"

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"Claudia, I need your help. Come over to my quarters. Please, now!" Lisa said into her phone. "I'm going to be in the shower, so use the code I gave you to let yourself in and… and go through my closet. I need something to wear," with that she hanged up and ran into her bathroom without giving Claudia time to ask her any questions.

Fifteen minutes later when Lisa stepped into her sleeping quarter, Claudia was there, busy looking through her closet. Clothes she hadn't seen in ages were thrown everywhere on the floor and her bed.

"Okay, spill!" Claudia said without turning to Lisa.

"I'm going on a date with Rick, tonight."

"What!" Claudia turned around so suddenly Lisa laughed for she had finally shocked her friend who was like a sister to her.

"You're going on a date, A DATE… and with Hunter! The same Rick Hunter who you've dubbed "that loud mouth pilot?"

"Yes," Lisa answered firmly and tried not to smile.

Claudia regarded her for a couple of minutes in silence as if deciding whether she should believe her or not then her amber eyes lit up in excitement.

"About time! My lord, look at you," Claudia exclaimed, "just don't stand there, let's get you ready."

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Twenty-five minutes later, Lisa was both excited and nervous. She hadn't felt this way in a long time, a very long time; not since her first date with Riber almost a decade ago.

_Would Rick think her pretty?_ She silently asked herself as she stared critically at her reflection in the full length mirror. She knew she was not beauty queen materials but she wasn't ugly either, and for some unknown reason she wanted Rick to think her pretty, desirable and a woman.

More importantly, she wanted him to like her, to respect her as a person, someone different than just his Commanding Officer. She wanted him to think of her as someone he could care for... even love.

"Claudia, I don't know about this dress it's showing too much here," Lisa said and pointed to her chest.

"Stop pulling on those slim halter straps! That plunging neckline is perfectly acceptable. Besides a little cleavage never hurts anyone and honey, believe me, you got nice cleavage," Claudia said and took a deep breath to calm down her temper. Sometimes Lisa can drive her crazy without meaning to with her conservatism and puritan outlook on life.

Telling Lisa to turn around once again, she nodded in approval.

"I knew that dress was going to be perfect! I love those gorgeous goldtone beading that accentuates the bodice and crisscrosses in the back. I would prefer the hemline to be above your knee instead of floor length but it'll do since you'll be wearing the high heels."

Lisa only sighed and picked up her hair brush.

"Here, let me," Claudia said and took the brush from her. She lead Lisa to her vanity chair and had her sat down before she proceeded to brush Lisa's long hair, undoing the knots and tangles easily while her mind was somewhere else- with Roy. She was remembering their first date, the one he came to pick her up with three other girls!

"A simple knot at the back of my head?" Lisa asked, giving Claudia a questioning look, her voice wavering a bit.

Coming quickly out of her thoughts, Claudia answered, "no, we are going to leave it strait, long and free."

"But…"

"No 'but' Lisa," she interjected firmly, "the dress you have on goes with this style. We want classy, modern and fresh not formal and reserved. Is Lisa Hayes going on a date or Commander Hayes, First Officer of the SDF-1?"

Not waiting for an answer, Claudia continued. "Here, wear this chandelier earring, it'll go nicely with the dress."

Lisa accepted the earrings from Claudia without much of a fuss and began putting them in.

"Oh and put some mascara on. Honestly, Lisa, you have such beautiful green eyes that some of us, yours truly included would die for yet you hide it."

Then they heard the buzz from Lisa's front door and the both of them froze for a fraction of a second in shock, disbelief, expectation and joy.

"He's here!" Lisa cried in a panic.

"Finish your makeup, he'll wait; now, the lip gloss," Claudia said in a firm tone that got Lisa sitting back down again on her vanity table.

Once done, Lisa got up from her vanity table and took another quick look at herself in the full length mirror again before leaving her room. She was wearing no perfume but her own. Her make-up was dramatic, but not overdone. Her eyes were deep and shadowed, but her skin was uncovered, the fineness of her creamy complexion needed no foundation or powder. And her mouth was glossed, that was all.

Claudia was right and she hated when Claudia was right, especially when it came to clothes. The black halter dress with its plunging neckline and open back did make her look sleek and alluring yet simple and elegant. Looking at the woman in the mirror, she had never felt more feminine and beautiful in all her adult life.

_Not bad,_ she muttered and was about to walk out of her bedroom when Claudia stopped her.

"Shoes! Don't forget your shoes, Lisa!"

Lisa looked down and realized she didn't have her heels on. She flushed and Claudia's crystalline laughter could be heard throughout the room.


	2. Two

_CHAPTER TWO _

"You look very nice, Lisa," Rick said and stared at her. He told himself not to stare but he couldn't help it. She was hot. There was no other words to describe her at this moment than 'hot' and he was get hot just looking at her.

"Thank you," she said in a husky voice, unable to take her eyes of him for she had never seen him looking so handsome before either. She glanced up at him and saw appreciation in his blue eyes as he stared at her. Slowly she let out a breath and cleared her throat.

"Shall we go?"

With a mental shake, Rick dragged his mind back to reality.

As they rode the elevator down to Macross City, Lisa was so aware of him, standing there so close yet so far from her. She liked the way he smelled, clean and a touch of a heady aromatic echo of aftershave. Not overpowering, but oh, so pleasing to her senses.

Everything about tonight was a dream come true... she was really on a date with Rick Hunter! Her heart skittered in her chest and she had eyes only for him but he was quiet, noncommittal almost since they left her quarters and she wondered why.

"Rick? Is something wrong?"

He looked away. "No. I was just thinking about our situation… you know, being exile from Earth and all. I was just thinking about what we're going to do and whether we'll be stuck living in this ship forever."

She wanted to tell him that she understood for she had thought about it constantly for weeks now since they'd left Earth. And it was those exact fears, anxieties and worries that had her asking Captain Gloval for permission to go back to Earth to talk to the Council again.

Lisa wished she could share with him her plans but she dare not for she didn't know what his reaction would be. She didn't want him to misunderstood her motives and accuse her of abandoning the SDF-1 and everybody else on board because she could.

"So where are we going, Rick? You never mentioned what you had in mind," she asked and hoped he hadn't noticed her not commenting on his worried thoughts.

"There's a an Italian restaurant two blocks from the Signature theater that I have been wanting to try but never could find the time so I thought tonight is as good of a time as ever. Do you mind?"

"No I don't mind at all. In fact, I love Italian food," she said and smiled brightly at him. For a moment there she was afraid he was going to suggest Chinese food.

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"How's your baked ziti, Lisa," Rick asked, watching her eat.

"Delicious, the spicy sausages are wonderful, just the right blend of herbs and spices. I haven't had a good pasta dish in ages. Thank you for taking me her, Rick."

Rick only nodded and she wished that he would do more than pick at his food.

"Is the penne with artichokes and shrimp not to your liking?"

"No… I mean yes, it's very good, I'm just not as hungry as I thought," Rick said, his tone was more abstracted than she'd liked.

_What is wrong?_ Lisa asked herself. _Maybe he's regretting it now for asking me to have dinner with him. Maybe he's wishing I was his precious Minmei._

An achingly loneliness that had settled on her after the death of Riber creped upon her again and with a heavy heart, Lisa lost her appetite and pushed her plate away.

"Rick, I'll understand if we leave," she looked at him, flushing. "I shouldn't have accepted your invitation to dinner in the first place. It was a mistake; we both had a long day…"

"No!" he interrupted and then hesitated but continued.

"Lisa, forgive me. It's not you and I'm glad that you accepted my invitation. I'd wanted to ask you out for a while now but never could work up the courage or find the right time. What do you say, we start over?"

He reached over and squeezed her hand.

The warmth of his hand on hers was so unexpected and uncharacteristic of their friendship that she tried not to gasp. She wondered if he realized what he had just done and for an instant, time stood still as their glaze met. He had beautiful eyes, with the thickest black lashes she'd ever seen.

"Lisa…"

She shut her eyes then unable to bare the caress in his voice for it hurt. It hurt because she knew she could never have what she wanted- him! Lisa swallowed hard; she had been silent too long.

"Sure, Rick," she replied in a polite tone and slowly withdrew her hand from his. "What do you say…"

"Lisa, believe me, it's not you. It's me. I'm just feeling kind of depressed lately. I don't know. I feel like I have nothing else to look forward to. I feel so lost, not knowing where I'm going or what I'm going to do," now that he'd started, he didn't know how to stop, he just felt like he had to get it all out or he'll never be able to breath freely again.

"If you were to tell me two years ago that I'll end up in the service and become Skull leader, I would have flipped my birdie at you and have you committed," quirking a smile, he continued. But his tone quickly changed and looking into his blue eyes she could see pain and bewilderment.

"I'm only twenty-one, Lisa, barely old enough to drink legally yet I have survived more dogfights than I could remember. I have written so many condolence letters that I've stopped counting and been to so many funerals that it doesn't even faze me anymore... and I hate that… what it is doing to me. I just want it to stop. Just for a minute. I want to feel free again without worries and fears. The burden of command- how do you do it? How do you handle it?"

_Careful, Lisa,_ she told herself sternly. _You'll be in over your head if you're not prudent. He's not ready. Don't mistake his need for sympathy and companionship for love. He doesn't need your love, he has Minmei._

"You learn to make the most of what you have, Rick. You keep going and doing what you've been trained to do. There's no easy way and you have to look at the big picture too or you will lose sight of who you are and your perspectives."

Then an idea hit her.

"Do you know what I do sometimes when I feel like the whole world is sitting on my shoulder and I don't know what to do?

"You work harder?" he said without looking at her or thinking about it at all.

It hurt that he thought her boring and had no life or hobbies but her work. But it was partly true too so she let it pass. "No, lets get out of here and I'll show you."

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"Come on, Hunter, don't be a baby!"

"Easy for you to say, you've done this before," he retorted back.

"It's just like flying, Rick!" Lisa said and smiled at him. "You can do it! Focus, keep your balance and have courage; I promise I'll catch you if you fall."

Her beautiful green eyes shone brightly with warmth and laughter that he couldn't help it but want to go to where she was.

"Okay, you asked for it! Here I come!" Rick yelled and using the inside edges as she had taught him, he pushed himself out towards her. He could feel his balance giving away but he willed himself to remain standing.

"That's it, Rick, you're doing it! Bend your knees a bit more to keep your balance," Lisa said encouragingly all the while backing up slowly, widening the gap between them.

"Not fair, Lisa! I saw you moving!"

"Did not!" she yelled and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Did too!" he hollered back and smiled at her playfulness.

What seemed like an eternity, he finally reached her and she caught hold of his arms; he spun them around without meaning to and he could feel her trying to balance his weight but failed and he felt them falling.

They both screamed and ended on the ice with her on top of him.

"Hey, I thought you said you were going to catch me if I fall. How come I'm the one whose butt is on the ice?" he teased and looked up at her with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

They both laughed and he found himself liking her on top of him. He could feel the heat of her body through their layers of clothing and smelled the clean, musky scent that was her. He especially liked her clear, thoughtful green eyes dancing with mirth and joy at him.

"I can't believe you've never skated before, Rick. Where did you grow up that there's no skating rink?" Lisa asked staring into his velvety blue eyes and feeling herself falling under his spell even deeper than before.

"Flying was all that I've ever wanted so everything else was kind of secondary," he answered looking sheepish.

"Well, Hunter, you're going to learn how to skate after tonight or my name isn't Lisa Hayes!"

Getting off him, Lisa stood up and extended both of her hands to him. Rick grabbed her outreached hands and got up to stand next to her. She let go of his hands once he got his balance back and began skating backward- putting some space between them.

"The main thing to keep, Rick, is your balance. Don't think about skating, just move, like this…" and she proceeded to show him by gliding graceful around him.

"Being your first time and all, I don't expect the double axle or triple salchow but you should be able to move without falling."

"The double-- what?" Rick asked confused.

Shaking her head, Lisa laughed and coming up to him once again she took hold of both of his hands. "I'm going to be right in front of you, okay, and I'll hold both of your hands until you get use to the ice and your balance."

Doing a few backward swizzles, Lisa got them moving then she quickly changed to gliding backward. Looking at him, she saw the concentration and determination on his face and she smiled. But her dreamily smile quickly disappeared when she realized that she was leaving tomorrow and might never see him again.

Shaking the depressing thought away, she noticed that Rick was blending too much.

"Look at me, Rick. Keep your eyes on me, don't look down. Remember, shoulders are down, back is straight and your chin is up. Fight the urge to walk, Rick. To skate is to glide, not walk."

After awhile, she let go of one of his hand and turned so she could be next to him, side by side. Slowly, she guided him around the rink twice.

"You're doing great, Rick! You really are skating," she exclaimed and slipped her hand from his.

Rick was so focused on keeping his balance and enjoying the knowledge that he was skating or gliding, as she'd said to notice that she was not holding his hand anymore. It wasn't until she glided ahead of him and turned around to skate backward so she could watch him that he realized he was skating on his own.

A bit more cautious now, he bent his knees a bit when he noticed his balance swaying and skated after her- awkwardly, but he didn't care for he was gliding! After a while, he felt himself slowing down but didn't bother to swizzles for he wanted to stop and watch Lisa.

She glided effortlessly across the ice. She crisscrossed corners with ease and even did a counter-clockwise spin that left his head spinning. She skated like a ballerina, her movements lissome, smooth, and elegant, yet artless. Her motions flowed in perfect rhythm, each movement with a purpose, creating a dance he had never seen before.

However she did one move that took his breath away. He knew he would never forget it as long as he lived for it looked as if she was flying on top of the ice.

In the move, she had glided on one foot while raising the non-skating leg towards the back; the free leg was lifted almost vertical while her back was arched a little and her head came up instead of looking down at the ice.

As he stood in the middle of the rink and watched her he became enchanted with her. He'd never seen this beautifully feminine, gloriously graceful and sexy Lisa before and he didn't think anyone else had either.

"That was something else, Lisa, what do you call that move you just made, the one where you had one of your foot in the air as you glided?" Rick said as Lisa came up to him and stopped in front of him.

"It's called a spiral," Lisa answered, her eyes bright and her face flushed with happiness.

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"So, tell me how you know the guy who owned the skating rink again," Rick asked as he drank his coffee and gave her a sardonic smile.

After they had finished skating and Lisa had taught him how to round the corners of the rink without using both feet; he had suggested coffee and they had made their way to a café he frequently visits.

"When I was first assigned to the SDF-1, Sammie, Vanessa and Kim took me there on a lark to play a joke on me. That was their way of welcoming me into the "club". But what they didn't know was that I used to take lessons when I was younger. Anyway, when Jim, the owner found out that I was the First Officer on the SDF-1, he and I kind of came to an agreement and I have been going there ever since whenever I could."

"What kind of an agreement did you have with him?" Rick interrupted.

"Nothing devious or illegal, I assure you," Lisa said, looking rather amused. "I got to skate for free and have the rink all to myself on Wednesdays when the place is closed. As for Jim, he gets to boast that he supports the RDF and is a friend of the First Office to his friends you know, publicity stuff."

"What else do you do beautifully, Lisa that I don't know about?" Rick asked with that little half-smile of his that she could never tell whether he was serious or amused.

There was an odd silence between them.

"I feel like such an idiot," she said miserably after a while. "Here I thought I was helping you to forget about your worries when all I really did was show off what I could do that was better than you." She couldn't even bear to look at him; a sense of humiliation was growing in her chest.

"No, you got it all wrong," Rick said pushing his cup of coffee away from him. "Lisa, watching you skate tonight, I forgot everything else but you and I envied you; how you could just let the world go, even if for a moment, and enjoy something that you loved doing. I used to be able to do that with flying but it's different now..."

Hearing the sincerity in his voice she wanted to cry.

"I... I also play the piano," she said trying to break the mood and looked up to see his eyes on her, glowing with something she couldn't quite recognize. And Lisa realized with a great thump of her heart again that she was irrevocably in love with Rick Hunter and would always be. She almost choke on her coffee, the realization was so clear and true.

_I'm in love with him. I'm in love with Rick... I can't deny it any longer!_

"Rick, there's something I have to tell you. But I can't say it here. Can we go back to my quarters?"


	3. Three

_CHAPTER THREE_

"I wanted to tell you, Rick, that I'm leaving the SDF-1 tomorrow. I couldn't tell you at the café because I couldn't risk anyone hearing it. There's enough unrest and rumors already running through this ship as it is besides, it's a top secret mission."

"What? Why wasn't I told of this?" he interrupted feeling panic and a sense of emptiness gripping him. "I mean, when did this happen?"

"I just got permission before meeting you in the elevator this evening," Lisa answered and looked at him uncertainly.

Now he knew why she was so preoccupied when they had met earlier in the elevator and looking so lost. Knowing that now he wondered why she even bothered to go out with him tonight.

Thinking about the date now he realized how lame it was; he'd been the one to ask her out yet it was she who had made the date fun, interesting and special while all he did was brood and wallowed in self-pity. That one fact gnawed at him more than he wanted to admit.

_Why can't I ever do anything right with her?_ He asked himself quietly and finding no answers.

"Rick, the fears and anxieties you expressed earlier, I have them too and I've been thinking, racking my brain for weeks now trying to find a solution..."

"And you leaving the SDF-1 was the only one you came up with," Rick said in disgust and got up from her sofa and walked to stare at a painting she had on one of her wall.

After a few minutes, he turned and looked back at her again wondering for the hundredth time why her leaving tomorrow had affected him so deeply. Why it had left him so angry and almost helpless like everything was caving in on him from all directions.

"It's not what you thinking Rick," Lisa said in a rough, angry manner. "I'm not abandoning the SDF-1 and everyone on board because I want to save my own butt. The fighting has got to stop..."

"That's not the point, Lisa!" he said sharply and returned to the sofa.

She looked a little confused and he amended, "Lisa, you got it all wrong. I'm not accusing you of anything. I know and I understand what you're trying to do."

"You do?" She asked and looked skeptically up at him.

"Yes," Rick said and sat down next to her again. He couldn't hide his grin. "Just because I don't always listen to you does not mean I'm stupid, Lisa."

Guilt and relief winged through her. "Rick, you don't know how much it means to me that you understand what I'm trying to do..."

"Why does it have to be you, Lisa?" he asked without letting her finish. There was something aching in his voice that made her sad.

"Tell me the truth. Why did you agree to have dinner with me tonight with such an important mission on your mind? It's not like you."

Lisa blinked. She could feel her pulse beating in her throat in a way that threatened to make her stomach flip over.

"I... don't... because you asked me and because I wanted to," she answered quietly unable to look at him.

"Rick, once I leave, my father may not allow me to come back again. But it's a risk I'm willing to take if it means the Council might listen to me and consider my proposal for peace. I know that you and I, we got off on the wrong foot at the beginning and have not always gotten along but I've come to admire you, Rick. I just couldn't leave without letting you know that."

"Is that all, Lisa?" he asked in a sober tone and stared at her belligerently.

"I… I don't know what you mean, Rick?" Lisa fibbed and quickly got up. She took a step away from him, wanting to put some distance between them when his hand caught her arm.

"You're telling me, Lisa," he struggled, "that you went out with me just so you can tell me that you admire me? Come on, what do you take me for? Contrary to popular belief, pilots are not idiots."

Lisa's face turned red and she felt the anger building.

"Why are you doing this, Rick?" she asked and turned back to face him. "What do you want from me?"

She suddenly snapped, her green eyes flashing now with rage. "Can't you take a compliment and leave it at that?"

"No! Because I just realized that I care about you!" he yelled at her and let go of her arm only to run it through his dark hair. "And you're leaving tomorrow… and God knows when or if you'll ever be back!"

Rick worried that he'd gone too far. But he couldn't take the words back now besides knew he needed to be honest with himself if not her. He was attracted to her. Heck he was more than attracted to her! He liked her, admired her and… and could even love her!

She was really a beautiful woman, a wonderful person with qualities and principles that he was coming to value more and more every day. He could see himself falling in love with her easily if only they had more time.

_Damned her! Why does everything have to be so complicated between them? _

Lisa caught his eyes and found him staring at her in a way she had never seen him stared at Minmei before. He looked like he really saw her. All the anger she had quickly left her and in its place was a burning desire to kiss him and she did, lightly on the lips before she could stop herself.

"Lisa…" he breathed in her name and leaned in to return her kiss.

"No." She straightened. "I'm still leaving tomorrow."

"Then why kiss me?" Rick asked soberly.

"Because… because I care, Rick! I don't know why but I do. I care when you're sad, when you're hurt and when you're lonely. I care what happens to you…"

_Tell him!_ Came a voice from deep inside. _No! He must never know! There is no point. He's in love with Minmei..._ With all her strength she tried to stop herself from letting him know but she couldn't for she loved him- it was that simple. That irrefutable. That unchangeable.

"I care because I… I love you! There! Are you happy now!" Lisa finished and looked him straight in the eyes without flinching or backing down.

Rick knew she was telling him the truth. A part of him had always known but a part of him rebelled at the thought for he wasn't ready to accept her love, her hopes and dreams. Minmei's betrayal was still too fresh in his mind yet he knew he could never turn his back on Lisa now; now that the truth was out in the open.

For a brief moment Rick stared straight into her eyes too and she saw a look of great brightness in those sexy blue irises and her heart hammered against her ribs. She found herself holding her breath when she also saw that he wasn't smiling at her now. But he wasn't laughing at her or running away from her either as she'd feared.

It was an almost painful sensation she'd ever felt in her life as she stood there and watched him deciding the fate of her life, her hopes and dreams.

It seemed like an eternity to her before she heard him whispered her name and opened his arms to her. Too elated beyond words, Lisa hadn't noticed she was crying.

Moving into his embrace, she laid her head on his shoulder and when he held her tightly to him, she felt the worries and heartaches in her soul melted away.

They stayed like that-- locked in each other's arms for a long time.

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"When are you leaving tomorrow? I want to be part of the mission, Lisa."

"No. Everything's been set already. Since you're off tomorrow, Max is the point man in this mission and I'm scheduled to launch at 1030 hours." Then her head rose up from his chest and he could see the panic in her face.

"What is it?"

"My report, I have to have it done by 0800 hours tomorrow for Captain Gloval's approval. I can't believe I totally forgot about it," she said and got up from the sofa.

As Lisa walked into her sleeping quarter and sat down on her desk, her report was already taking shape in her mind. Quickly she turned on her personal computer and began typing the words and phrases she knew would work best with her father. She knew she had to win her father to her side or her mission would be a complete failure.

She was so engrossed in the report that she'd forgotten about Rick. It wasn't until she felt his strong, capable and warm hands rubbing at the tension in her neck and shoulders that she realized he was still with her. She turned around and smiled at him.

"What time is it?" she asked as he pulled another chair next to hers.

On an impulse she reached out her hand and combed it through his lock of hair that keeps covering his sexy blue eyes.

Rick closed his eyes and relaxed, imaging what it would be like to have a woman, to have Lisa, so near, so comfortable around him that she'd touch his hair while she talk about her day or her work.

"I can't believe it's almost midnight," she sighed and the emptiness in her tone stabbed at him.

"You all right?" he asked.

"I'm just afraid that I won't be able to convince my father. I'm afraid of what that would mean for the entire human race and… and for us," she said her voice, sad and low.

He pressed a kiss near her ear. "I would never blame you. None of this is your fault, Lisa."

He hugged her to him.

_Damned but she smelled good. And holding her again was sending his pulses shooting to the stars._

"Thank you, Rick," she whispered. She thought of giving Captain Gloval an excuse tomorrow and not leave the SDF-1 at all. The idea surprised her, for following protocol and doing her duty had always been top priority with her.

"For what?" he asked, not understanding.

"For tonight, no matter what happens, I'll always have this one night that I went out with you and had a wonderful time. I hadn't laughed in a long time and you made me laughed tonight, Rick. I've almost forgotten what that was like."

That made him cringed and reluctantly he let her go.

"Are you almost finished with the report?"

Turning back to her computer she replied. "Yes but I need to proofread it again and there's a paragraph in there that I want to take out…"

"Lisa, about tonight, I want to apologize for my selfishness." He shook his head at her to stop her from interrupting him.

"I asked you out because I wanted to erase that look of lost and loneliness from your eyes when I first came upon you in the elevator. But it was you, Lisa, you who erased my loneliness and doubts away tonight with your laughter and confidence in me. I do care, Lisa. I do care a great deal about you and I can not image my life with out you. Be careful when you leave tomorrow and come back to… to me."

He covered her fingers with his and waited.

Rick's voice was almost a whispered when he finished but she'd heard everything he said and seen the fire in his eyes when he looked at her. The softness of his tone, the intimate sound of his voice so close to her took her completely by surprise, and she felt warmth stealing over her.

His eyes held hers. She couldn't move, couldn't pull her gaze away from his.

Finally, she whispered. "I don't want to think or worry about anything-- not the Zentraedi, or me leaving tomorrow, or even what's happened before between us. I want you, Rick, to make everything go away except the two of us."

She knew she was not her usual conservative self but at this moment, she didn't care and the idea made her reckless and jubilant.

Lisa brushed her fingers over his chest as if searching for his heart.

"I want to know you. I want to know the Rick Hunter who had seen my loneliness tonight and reached out to me, the Rick Hunter who cares for me and… and needs me."

Before he could think of the right words, she leaned over him and her lips touched his.

Her kiss was not light or playful but filled with longing, desire and promises. When she finished, she didn't pull away but whispered against his cheek.

"Hold me, Rick while we sleep as if we were the only two people alive in the universe."

With those words burning into his heart he knew he could not deny her anything and he kissed her then, deeper than he ever had. His heart pounded so hard he thought it might explode. After the heart stopping kiss, he picked her up and carried her to her bed.


	4. Four

_CHAPTER FOUR _

When Lisa quietly shuts down her personal computer at 0600 hours Rick was still sound asleep on her bed. She had slept on his shoulder feeling warm, loved and protected all night until she had to get up this morning at 0430 hours to finalize her report.

Last night had been incredible.

Rick did make the world and all her worries, doubts and troubles go away except for them. Being with him was the most delightful and unexpected pleasure of her life.

Warmth enveloped her, warmth and a blissful feeling that left her deliciously light and wanton, and she had to hug herself for the pure joy of it. Lisa knew no matter if she never saw him or loved him again she would have enough memories to last a lifetime.

_All my live I will remember this... this moment in time, this incredible experience and this hazed of happiness that I have found with him. _

Stretching Lisa got up and walked over to him and stared down at him. She glazed lovingly at the planes of his face, the high cheekbones, the long long lashes, the slash of his nose and the sensual shape of his mouth.

He seemed so peaceful, so young and handsome. It's hard to believe that he was only twenty-one years old. When she was that age, she had been so driven, ambitious and focused on being the best in the RDF that she hadn't had time for anything else but work.

_And so wrapped up in my grief for Riber that I practically shut down my heart until Rick... _

She wanted to wake him and tell him again that she loved him, was proud of him and would miss him but she couldn't bring herself to disturb him.

Then she realized that Rick hadn't said he loved her when she had declared her love for him. He had only said he cared and wanted her to come back. Sadness tinged her eyes.

_Don't ask for the moon and stars, Lisa. He doesn't belong to you but to the fabulous Minmei. Just be happy with what you have at this moment. No regrets, remember, you promised yourself, no regrets. _

A single tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. Swallowing the pain away Lisa got up and walked to her closet. Opening it she pulled out one of her ten clean uniforms and gently laid it on her side of the bed.

Once done she disappeared into her bathroom to take a quick shower.

Rick Hunter stirred.

There was something wrong. He could feel it and sense it. When just a moment ago there had been something right- something totally right for once in his life and he wondered what it was; then the memories of last night came flooding back to him.

_Lisa Hayes had been in his arms! But she wasn't anymore._

Instantly his eyes sprang opened and he sat up in bed. He was just about to call out her name when he heard her humming from the bathroom and then hearing the shower turned on and he smiled.

Last night had been incredible.

He hadn't felt this happy in a long time and being with Lisa had sooth an ached in his heart that he had always felt no matter where or who he was with. Part of him wished he'd never asked her to have dinner with him last night. Yet a part of him knew he would love her every day and night he had left of this lifetime whether they were together or not.

_Great, Hunter! As if missing and feeling lost without Minmei these past two years wasn't enough; you had to go and fall for Lisa too! Now you're going to be miserable for the rest of your life if she doesn't return. _

"What are you doing up so early?" Lisa asked faintly fifteen minutes later when she came into the room and sat down next to him on the bed. "Today's your day off. You hadn't had one in weeks."

She couldn't help it but stare at him. He had hauled himself up against the pillows and the thin cotton sheet he had pulled over them last night had winded around his hips and thighs.

"Good morning to you too, Commander," Rick said in a voice that made her knees weak, and unconsciously he moved a hand through her wet hair.

The way he was looking at her- like he adored her pulled at her heart and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to make sure she wouldn't cry. Suddenly shy, Lisa could only offer him a smile but when he met her eyes it spoke volumes to him.

He responded by pulling her toward him, having her straddling him and untying the belt of her terry red robe. He hadn't planned on making love to her again but he couldn't help himself, Lisa was so giving, warm and loveable.

He loved it when she smiled at him like he was the King of the universe.

An hour later, he was still in bed watching Lisa as she dressed and packed an overnight duffle bag.

"I made a hot pot of coffee earlier and had two cups already; help yourself to anything I have in the frig. I can't believe I'm going to be late," Lisa said as she slipped her heels on and took another look at herself in the full length mirror.

Grabbing her duffle bag, she walked over to him and lowered her mouth to his and kissed him gently.

"I'll see you later." Then she stepped back, he let her go and she left.

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Rick Hunter had just finished paying the cashier for a bouquet of flowers he'd decided to pick up for Lisa along with some groceries when he heard the Macross paging voice paging him. He quickly found one of the military yellow communication phones and identified himself.

"Rick? Where are you? I've been trying to get a hold of you forever?" Lisa said. "Rick I'm launching in 5 minutes."

"What!" Looking at his watch, "it's barely 0900 hours. You said your flight doesn't leave until 1030 hours."

"I know what I said, Rick. My departing time had to be bunked up because we've received new intel that twelve battlecruisers have separated from the main Zentraedi fleet. It's as if they're getting ready for another attack, so be careful when you go out there again. I don't know what I'll do if anything were to happen to you..."

Catching her breath, Lisa continued.

"Anyway the Captain doesn't want me getting caught in a battle so I have to leave now. I tried to contact you earlier but you weren't at my quarters or yours. Rick, I'm leaving… I can see Max's VT from my window. He and four others from Skull will be escorting my shuttle until we reach Earth's orbit"

"Damn it, Lisa! This isn't how it's supposed to be. You're supposed to see me later so I can give you some flowers," he said as he stared at the bouquet of flowers in his hand. "That's where I've been. I wanted to get you some flowers."

Cradling the handset to her, Lisa felt tears in her eyes and butterflies in her stomach. "Rick…" She struggled for control of her emotions. "Thank you."

"For what, Lisa?"

"For making me feel…" she didn't know the words to describe her feelings. "For making me feel beautiful."

"Lisa, it's you. You are beautiful…" he tried to say but she cut him off.

"We're launching! Good-bye, Rick, and … and please take care of yourself. I love…" But the circuit was dead before she could even finish and Rick felt like screaming at the unfairness of it all.

"Why didn't I insist on escorting her!" he yelled at himself and made a mad dash for one of the observation decks. When he got there all he saw was a tiny cluster of distant lights.

_Lisa… _

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Khyron the Backstabber stared at the micronian shuttle and its fighter escorts with glee. He had been given a direct order from Lord Breetai not to attack the SDF-1 again or be executed, but Breetai had not said anything about not attacking a little convoy.

"I want that shuttle but kill everything else!"

_How I hate the micronians and this stupid game of Breetai-- waiting! _

If he had his way he would kill every last one of them. But what he hated most was the micronian practice of males and females mingling with each other, and the way they show affection to each other by pressing their lips together.

He hated that the most because it repelled him just as much as it fascinated him; for he often found himself thinking what it would be like to touch lips with a female.

Khyron's men had learned never to question him. He was not known far and wide as the "Backstabber" or "Destroyer" for nothing. They were loyal to him not because they respected him but because they feared him.

Commander Khyron didn't fit the stereotypes of a brutal warlord; for he was young, almost youthful and beautifully handsome with his wavy blue hair and cold, dark purple eyes. But his handsomeness sometimes appears sinister, twisted and even down right evil when he was angry.

Some would described him as arrogant, rash, impulsive and spoiled but what they all agreed on was that he was ruthless, cold and almost sadistic in his killings whether they be friends or foes.

"Nothing can save them now" he sneered in disgust and delight. "All units, attack!"

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"Captain!" Sammie said in an alarming voice. "Pods from the twelve battlecruisers that had separated from the main Zentraedi fleet are deploying and heading strait for the shuttle. The fighter escorts will be outnumbered, sir, there's no way they can win against that number. It's ten to one!"

Gloval said nothing as if he hadn't heard Sammie at all and every eye on the bridge turned to him-- waiting for his order.

They knew how much he liked Lisa and respected her as his First Officer. They waited and wonder what he was going to do or say for Lisa was more than just their First Officer; she was their friend, their sister and a colleague. She had saved their lives more than once with her quick thinking and courage.

Claudia almost blurted out a plea to send reinforcements but saw the tightening of the Captain's jaw and remained quiet. She knew as well as the next person that the SDF-1 could not afford to risk an entire VT team just to save one shuttle and its five escorts. Therefore she was not surprised at all when Gloval issued his order.

"Order the shuttle and its escorts to take evasive action and return to the SDF-1 as soon as possible."

"But sir!"

"Follow the Captain's order Sammie!" Claudia reprimanded in a stern voice and Sammie quickly relayed the order.

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Max Sterling pulled the lever that sent his Skull Two into Battloid mode and ordered the other VT pilots to take evasion maneuver gamma.

He knew no reinforcements would be coming from the SDF-1 or Earth this time and even if they did come, it would be too late already. And in that split second, he knew as clear as daylight that this fight would be his last unless a miracle happened but it was unlikely and he accepted his death as calmly as any pilot would-- with spirit and bravado.

"Today's as good of a day as any to die," he said calmly to himself but sighed with regret when he realized he was going to die without ever being in love.

In the shuttle's armored cocoon, Lisa felt the ship rock as it took a direct hit from one of the pods. She couldn't see anything so she prayed Max and the other pilots were doing okay against the enemy.

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"Captain, the shuttle is away from the fighting but there are six pods surrounding her. They have crippled her, sir," Vanessa reported.

Gloval sat in his command chair and stared strait ahead of him, thinking and weighing the odds. "Sammie, how long would it take for the new armored Veritech to make it there?"

"Approximately four minutes, sir," she replied quickly and with hope in her voice.

"Prepare it for launch and get Lieutenant Hunter to the hanger deck on the double!"

Claudia was relaying the order even before Gloval's words had died in the air.

Gritting his teeth, Rick yelled at Sammie through the tac net. "What are you talking about? I have no idea of those codes or coordinates!"

"I'm sorry Lieutenant, you weren't supposed to be on duty until tomorrow and I haven't updated your codes yet," Sammie said and devastation could be heard in her voice.

Even before Sammie had finished giving him the new codes he was already launched and speeding out to Lisa like the devil was chasing after him.

_I'm coming, Lisa! Hold on! _

_0000000000000000000000000000_

Khyron was in no hurry to lead the attack for he wanted to watch and observe the micronian ace pilot who had defeated him a couple of times in the past. He had to admit that the micronian was good as he watch him kill of his men like they were annoying flies.

_Wouldn't it be sweet to blow him up into smithereens and throw it in Miriya Parino's face? How I hate that annoying Quardrono ace pilot but not as much as her commander, that_ _bitch warlord, Azonia! _

"Yes, my micronian vermin just move your Veritech a little bit more to the right... there!" Khyron said to himself and his smile was full of malice and hatred. He was just about to pull the trigger when a newcomer arrived.

"One more Veritech wouldn't matter now," he laughed coldly to no one in particular and took aim again.

But as quickly as Khyron had dismissed the newcomer, the fighter accelerated to unprecedented speeds and was in and out among the pods like nothing he had ever seen before. He watched in dismay as the fighter took out Zentraedi mecha two at a time without slowing down at all.

"Who the hell is he!" he barked at him men.

"We don't know Lord Khyron. His mecha doesn't match any computer ID in our database," a pod pilot reported.

Angry beyond comprehension at having to withdraw again without a victory, Khyron turned to the pod pilot who had just given him the report on the newcomer's mecha and blasted him to pieces.

"Grab the shuttle and retreat! If any of you come back without that shuttle I will execute each and every one of you personally. I will not go back empty handed!"

With that order he turned and withdrew back to his battlecruiser.

_There will be another time micronian! This I swear, I will kill each and every last one of you or my name isn't Khyron the Destroyer! _

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"Max! Are you okay?" Rick asked as he reached the escort team now down to just Max and Jenkins.

"Skipper, you don't know how happy I am to see you," Max said and took a deep breath. "For a minute there I really thought today was the day for me."

"I guess there is a God," he said to himself and silently thanked him. "And maybe, just maybe I will get a chance to fall in love after all."

"Lieutenant! The shuttle!" Jenkins shouted over the com.

Rick turned and saw six pods carrying it off while ten were standing guard.

"Lisa!" he screamed and hit his thruster.

Max and Jenkins did the same but he knew it was too late. Yet a part of him refused to believe it and once again he went flying at the pods that came at him, trying to deter him from getting to Lisa.

"Shuttle craft-1 do you read me? Come in Shuttle craft-1! Lisa! Lisa, are you there? Answer me! This is Rick!"

Nothing.

"Rick! Stop!" Max's voice came over the com to him. "We can't follow them. It's too late, skipper. The Commander's gone. There will be another day. Come back, Rick."

"I refused to believe that, Max! Lisa's not gone. She's not dead!" Rick yelled back at Max but stopped nevertheless.

All around him, all he could see was black space and in the far distance a tiny cluster of lights which dwindle into the darkness after a few minutes.

_Lisa! Don't give up, do you hear me? Stay alive. I promise I'll find you! _


	5. Five

_CHAPTER FIVE_

"Lieutenant Stiller! Can you hear me?" Lisa said into the intercom from her protective armored cocoon. "Anyone there? Hello! What's going on? Answer me, Stiller!"

She knew the battle was over for she didn't feel the shuttle taking on any more hits but they were still moving however the shuttle's two pilots had stopped talking to her.

_It's not like them to be so quiet. They've been keeping me informed of the battle since the attack; to have them suddenly so quiet now makes no sense. Something's wrong... _

Pushing with all her might, she pulled the emergency release lever down and the protective shielding swung back with a thud. Pushing her hair out of the way, she looked out of the viewport nearest to her and she paled.

There were four pods next to her, directly outside the shuttle! Quickly she ran to the other side and saw five more pods.

_No! This can't be happening! _

Her heart thudded in her chest and apprehension flooded her mind and body. Running to the hatch door that separated her compartment from the two pilots, she tried to open it but it was jammed.

"Come on, open!" she screamed at the hatch door and began banging on it with her fists. "I said open, you piece of garbage!" she grated in frustration. Looking around she saw nothing that would aid in opening the door.

After awhile, exhausted and spent, Lisa went back to her seat and waited for there was nothing else she could do. She knew she was once again a prisoner of war however this time, she was alone; no Rick, Ben or Max.

_Rick, where are you? Find me, please, find me. _

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He was staring at the photograph in his hand. Wondering when she was going to arrive and how he should greet her. He knew she hadn't been too happy or pleased with him the last time they'd met and talked. In fact she was pretty disappointed in him and pissed off at his decision to side with the Council.

_His baby girl... she'd turned out better than he had ever hoped. How proud her mother would have been of her. How proud he was of her._

Admiral Donald Hayes smiled then and closed his eyes, remembering happier times, times before the alien ship had arrived and even before his wife's death.

He was remembering the day of Lisa's birth, the day she first opened her big green eyes and stared up at him with such blinding trust and innocence; the day she stole his heart and knocked him breathless with her beautiful baby smile. The day he knew he would do everything in his power to make sure she would always be protected and kept safe, the day he understood what it meant to become a father.

So deep in thoughts he hadn't heard the buzz of his intercom until his aide's voice came through. "Admiral, we just received an encrypted message from the SDF-1, it's for you, sir."

"Patch it through, Lieutenant"

When the encrypted message showed up on his com screen he put in the requested password and within a few seconds later, he was reading the message:

COMMANDER HAYES CAPTURED. MISSION ABORTED. -

Admiral Hayes shook himself.

_So close! She was so close in coming back to his protective circle again. After so long of him arguing with her to leave the SDF-1 and to have her finally coming to her senses only to be captured... No! I refused to believe that she is dead. _

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"Tear the damn door open!" Khyron yelled impatiently at Grel, his second in command.

"But sir, won't that damage it?" Grel asked, afraid to look at his Commander.

"It's not the ship that I'm interested in, you idiot! It's what inside. It's got to be important or those micronian pilots wouldn't have fought so hard to protect it."

Grel frowned. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I didn't think…"

"Enough!" Khyron interrupted.

Raising his hands Khyron pushed at the shuttle, rocking it back and forth for a couple of minutes then grabbing the door of the shuttle he tore it off its' hedges in one smooth action.

"But sir, if you ..." Grel started to say, but froze when he saw a tiny micronian female coming out of the shuttle. She seemed to be having a hard time maintaining her balance.

In an instant, all the surrounding Zentraedi soldiers took a couple of steps back and grasped in horror when she opened her mouth to speak to them. They had heard the rumors about Micronian females but none of them had ever seen one before and they didn't know what to make of her.

She looked like some of their Zentraedi female warriors with her long hair and slender build but she was so tiny that they didn't know how she could possibly stand without her legs breaking or for that matter, be alive.

"Are you fools trying to shake me to death?" Lisa yelled up at them once she was able to catch her breath. Pushing her heavy hair away from her face, she straightened her uniform and stared up at her captors. She was scared to death but refused to show it.

"I am Commander Lisa Hayes, First Officer of the SDF-1! I refused to answer any questions you may want to know about the SDF-1's defense so you might as well kill me and get it over with. I will not break no matter what …"

Before she could finish, Lisa saw a sinisterly handsome Zentraedi with wavy blue hair and purple eyes reaching for her. She fought the urge to scream and bit her lip. She told herself to stay calm but had closed her eyes when she felt his hand tightened around her.

In less than a minute, she felt herself being let go and when she opened her eyes again, she was in a glass cage and being carried off the landing deck by the blue haired Zentraedi.

"Wait, what about my pilots? Please won't you check on them?" she asked but no one paid her any attention. When they turned the corner, she looked back at the shuttle again and saw that both the windows in the cockpit were broken.

_No wonder I couldn't open the door. They must've have jammed it from their side to keep the oxygen in my compartment from escaping. _

Defeated, Lisa Hayes slowly slid down the glass wall and sat down.

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In the officers' mess hall on board the SDF-1, Max sat across from Rick and toyed with his now empty coffee cup.

"Lieutenant, I'm sure Commander Hayes is fine. We'll find her somehow, sir," Max said cheerfully, trying to lighten Rick's mood.

"She's a very resourceful and courageous officer. I wouldn't be surprised at all if she got the Zentraedi to surrender to us in the next couple of days."

Rick turned away from him. "Thanks Max, for trying to cheer me up but I would like to be alone, if you don't mind."

Max persisted.

"Rick, it's not your fault and besides, it unhealthy to be so gloomy. What do you say you and I go play some video games or better yet, catch Minmei's live performance at the…"

But before he could finish, Rick got up and walked away.

"What did I say?" Max asked himself and shrugged as he watched Rick leave the hall without a backward glace.

Fifteen minutes later, Rick found himself outside Lisa's quarters and was just about to knock when he realized she was not inside.

_She was gone and it was his fault! I should have been there to protect her. I should have insisted on escorting her. If only I would had gotten there in time... _

Hesitant for only a brief moment, he put in the codes she'd given him last night and walked into her quarters. He half expected Lisa to be sitting at her sofa and smiling up at him but all he saw and felt when her hatch door closed behind him was emptiness.

Walking into her sleeping quarter he saw Lisa's bed and everything in him stopped. This morning, he'd been so eager to get her some flowers that he'd forgotten to make her bed. He stared at it for a long time, seeing her there-- smiling at him, laughing with him and welcoming him to her with happiness in her green eyes.

Slowly he walked to her bed and began smoothing the sheets to make up the bed, his hands lingered upon them, and he touched the pillows tenderly, remembering her head on them and his own.

_Lisa, I should have told you how important you are to me. I should have told you that I... I love you – What!_

Rick blinked quickly and looked around Lisa's bedroom as if just realizing where he was. Looking down, he noticed that he was holding one of Lisa's pillows and could still smell the delicate scent of her perfume on it.

Dropping the pillow as if it was a hot poker, he quickly left Lisa's quarters as if someone was chasing him.

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"Wake up! For such a tiny little thing, you certainly sleep a very long time. I said, wake up, micronian!"

Slowly Lisa opened her eyes. At first she didn't know where she was but slowly everything came back to her and she quickly stood up to face the Zentraedi warrior who was now knocking on her glass cage.

"Who are you and what do you want? I demand to know what is going to happen to me. I have rights, you know, even if I'm a prisoner," Lisa yelled to him.

She crossed her arms over her abdomen, exhaled in disgust, and donned a petulant expression to continue biding her time while awaiting a defensive opportunity.

"Rights? You have no rights, micronian other than what I give you," he spat and his cold purple eyes darken in anger in response to her body language.

Looking into his eyes, Lisa's brief spurt of courage failed her. She took a backward step, her heart hammering fearfully in her chest but she refused to back down.

"I'm not afraid of you, you over grown giant!" she gazed coolly at him.

"You may yell at my men but don't ever yell at me or demand anything from me or I will crush you! I am Khyron, Lord Khyron to you; maybe you've heard of me?"

"No. I'm sorry I have not."

Undeterred, he smiled broadly. "I'm sure that will be corrected shortly. Now, tell me, micronian, why are you so important and what possible use could you be to me? Think carefully on your answer, for it will determine whether I should let you live."

She ignored him then for she suddenly realized she was hungry- very hungry but mostly thirsty.

"Answer me!"

"I'm very thirsty. Do you Zentraedi drink?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked levelly after a slight pause.

"Water, you know, H2O? I find myself very thirsty," Lisa said inelegantly, getting up to pace restlessly in the glass cage. "If you'll give me some water and possibly some food for I find myself also very hungry, maybe then, you and I can talk."

"Now, just a minute!" His fisted hand came slamming down on the table and the vibration knocked Lisa down. Looking up at him she could see his eyes blazing with anger and his jaw clamped to a hard line.

"I told you, you have no right to ask or demand anything, micronian!"

"Go ahead, crush me! I would rather die fighting than being a coward like you who enjoys bullying those weaker and smaller than you!" She faced him with more confidence than she was feeling inside. "And by the way, my name is Commander Hayes, not micronian!"

Khyron glared balefully across at her, feeling a strong urge to crush her and rid the Universe of her presence. He could see in his mind a thousand ways how he could kill her and make her cry out in agony and pain; a pain so deep she would beg him for death.

Staring at her, he could see anger and fear mingling in her green eyes but he also saw intelligence and stubbornness; a cold smile crossed his handsome face. He had to applaud her for her recklessness and misguided courage. No one he knew had ever defied him so blatantly before and lived.

_Maybe she doesn't know what I can do to her? Maybe she doesn't know that I can pull her little head off with two of my fingers without even trying? _

"Do you care so little for your death, micronian?" he asked in a cold low voice.

Lisa's heart thudded in panic but she knew keeping him angry and confused was her only defense. "Why should I care, you're going to kill me whether I talk or not," she scoffed haughtily at him. "My name is Commander Hayes!"

Defeated, Khyron hissed and left.

_Starved, Commander for all I care! Maybe then you won't be so courageous. _

Khyron laughed to himself but once on the bridge quickly barked to Grel to find out from their vast database of contacts with other races what micronians eat.

"Lord Khyron... umm, Commander Azonia asked that you contact her as soon as you can. It seems, Sir, that she knows about the micronian," Grel said and quickly left to do as he was told.

_Damned that annoying bitch! She was always getting into his business, laughing at him behind his back and baiting his anger._

Khyron swore in anger and ordered his communication officer to patch him through to her. As soon as her image appeared on screen, he straightened to his full height himself and pasted a sardonic look of boredom on his face.

"Khyron, you were given a direct order to not lead anymore attacks on Zor's ship!" Commander Azonia said before her image could even be focused clearly on the screen monitor. "Breetai will have your head once he gets back..."

"Shut up!" Khyron interrupted. "Are you blind as well as stupid? I did not attack the SDF-1. It was merely a convoy."

"I see," Azonia said and tapped a finger on her desk. "In that case, you wouldn't have any problems in turning over the micronian to me. I have a few questions I'd like to ask her."

"No."

"No? No you don't have a problem or no, you will not turn her over to me?"

"No," Khyron said again and reached out to cut off the communication.

_Stew on that, bitch! I have plans for my little prisoner. She and I are going to be the best of friends. By the time I'm through with her, she'll tell me anything I want to know, even where the Protoculture is located on that blasted ship._

Laughing loudly to himself he left the bridge as his men and officers looked on, wondering what he has planned for them and the tiny female micronian he has caged in his ready room.


	6. Six

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Robotech or any of the characters. The following fan fiction is written for entertainment purposes only.

Thanks for the reviews! Much appreciated… keep them coming.

* * *

_CHAPTER SIX_

"You are just like me, you know," Lisa said for what seemed like the hundredth time to Khyron as he paced the room. "Dr. Lang and our scientists have proved it from the blood of the Zentraedi who had defected to our ship. We are part of the same species."

"You're telling me unless information, Commander. You are telling me information that I have no interest in. I want to know about the Protoculture on that ship!" Khyron said as he turned to give her a hard, angry stare.

"You're not interested!" Lisa spat and hoped the look she gave back to him was one of disbelief. "How could you not be interested in something as important as this? Don't you understand that this means we could stop the fighting between our two races?"

"Impossible! I tell you," he growled softly. "Everything coming out of your mouth is nonsense. Do you know, Commander," he paused significantly, "if I didn't find you so entertaining I would crush you right now?"

Lisa clenched her teeth as she forced herself to look up at him, to call his buff without fear or emotion. "You're weak, Khyron. Fighting is an easy way out and weak men always want the easy way."

She heard his screamed of blinded hate and frustration. She closed her eyes then, knowing he was going to kill her now for she had finally pushed too far. Calmly she waited for death but it never came instead she heard the door opened.

Holding her breath, Lisa opened one of her eyes to peek out and saw that he was stalking out of the room. Her shoulders slumped as she dropped to the floor.

"How long," she muttered quietly to herself, "how long before I go crazy and tell him everything I know about the SDF-1's defense or before I drive him crazy and he kills me?"

Looking around, she could almost pretend that this cage, this glass box that she was living in now for the past nine days was her quarters on the SDF-1; for she had been given a sofa, a mattress and a table to make herself comfortable.

Khyron had informed her when he set them in her cage that he had gotten them from Grel who had gotten them from their ex-spies- Rico, Bron and Konda who were now defectors on board the SDF-1.

However Lisa knew that this was not her quarters on the SDF-1, for one thing, it did not have Rick, Claudia, the Captain or the Trio. Instead what it did have was one spoiled, angry Zentraedi warlord who enjoyed taunting her, giving her hope one minute then dashing it the next over and over again; who seemed to thrive on her anger, her isolation and fear.

_Rick, where are you? Do you still think of me? _

_000000000000000000000000000000_

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing, Khyron?" Azonia asked from the communication screen as she stared in shocked at Miriya Parino- her captain of the Quadrono clinging to the arm of a blue haired micronian as if her life depended on him.

"I'm not blind, Azonia," Khyron answered and turned slightly away from the monitor to Grel. He whispered something to Grel that she could not hear and she watched with suspicion as he disappeared from the room.

"Well? Can you tell me what she is doing?" Azonia demanded lifting her chin and narrowing her purple eyes a bit further to let him know that she didn't appreciate him brushing her off.

"Stop pestering me, Azonia! Miriya is your problem, your responsibility. She is your captain of your precious Quadrono," Khyron drawled bitingly. "Why should I be interested in her business?"

"Just set her down there," Khyron said when he heard Grel coming back into the room and indicated to a high table next to his chair in the command station. Once done, Grel quietly moved back and out of sight of the communication screen, and for the first time, Azonia saw what Khyron's micronian captive looked like.

_Why she's nothing but a pale little thing. So tiny, so weak and fragile; a flickering of my finger would send her flying. Khyron's a fool to have been so protective of her! _

"Tell me, micronian, what that is?" Khyron said and pointed to the screen that had captured all the Zentraedi's attention on the bridge.

Looking up, Lisa saw Max and a beautiful woman with long green hair standing together in front of a priest. The woman was in a wedding dress and Max in a tux-- looking very serious and … happy! He was staring at the woman as if she was the most important person in the universe and she was just as enchanted.

_Max getting marry? When did this happen and who is that woman? I've seen her before... but where and when? I remember now… the day after the Zentraedi had attacked Macross and Rick and I were walking the streets, surveying the damaged. She had walked right in between us…_

"Well?" Khyron's impatient voice boomed into her and she quickly snapped out of her private thoughts.

"My name is Commander Hayes, how many times do I have to repeat myself and it's a wedding ceremony. Corporal Sterling and whoever that woman is… are getting married," Lisa answered in a taut but amazingly quiet tone.

"Married? What is married?" Azonia asked and stared down at Khyron's micronian prisoner from the screen with confusion and disgust.

Turning her head to the short dark haired female Zentraedi on Khyron's communication screen, Lisa explained.

"It a custom, a human custom that unites two people together as man and wife. It declares to the world that they are in love and want to be with each other forever and ever, till death do they part."

"Impossible!" the female Zentraedi exclaimed with haughty aloofness from the screen. "Miriya is not a micronian; she's the captain of my Quadrono. She's the best there is. She would never consent to such hideous custom! She must have been captured, tortured and forced into it. There is no other explanation."

"I don't think so," Lisa mused.

"From the look on her face, she's obviously very happy and in love with Corporal Sterling. You can't force love, it just happens when you least expect it. This Miriya person who you claim is a Zentraedi is definitely in love, and has defected to our side."

"Looks like you made another bad decision again, Azonia," Khyron said almost cheerfully and laughed. "If I were you, I'll be begging for Breetai's forgiveness right now for loosing Miriya instead scowling at my prisoner."

Against her will, Azonia found herself admitting that Khyron was right and she hated him at that moment more than anything else in her life. Turning a cold look at Khyron's micronian prisoner once more she quickly cut her communication with Khyron.

"You look extraordinarily pleased with yourself, Commander," Khyron said from behind her and shut off the broadcast. "Could you be enjoying yourself for getting the best of Azonia? Not very many Zentraedi can claim that right."

Lisa's green eyes gleamed with an unaccustomed brightness as she stared up at him. "It's not my fault if she needed to be taken down a peg or two from her high pedestal of knowing it all."

"Well said," Khyron retorted and for the first time since she'd met him, Lisa could have sworn she saw humor stirred in those dark purple eyes of his but it was gone almost at once, and she wondered if she'd been mistaken.

"Grel! Put her back where she belonged."

"You know what this proves, don't you?" Lisa yelled up at Khyron as if she hadn't heard what he had just told Grel to do and went on, smiling almost appealingly.

"It proves that I'm right, that both of our races could co-exist; that there could be peace among us!"

For a highly charged instant their glances clashed across the long distance between them, and then Khyron smiled cruelly at her. "Now Grel! I want her off..."

"Sir," Grel interrupted, "Lord Breetai has ordered a full-scale assault on the SDF-1!"

"No!" Lisa yelled but knew Khyron could no longer hear her anymore for he was now busy giving out orders to his men to prepare for battle; a battle that the SDF-1 would surely loose, a battle that Rick would lead his team to and die.

_It's now or never!_

Looking around, Lisa saw that no one was watching her and she was just about to make a run for it when she felt a hand, Khyron's hand picking her up, squeezing her into his palm and taking her back to her cage.

_Rick! _

_00000000000000000000000_

_How can you be more beautiful than the first time we'd met, Minmei_? Rick thought bitterly to himself as he watched her sing.

Then he called himself a fool for thinking of her when it's so obvious that she'd hadn't given a thought to him since winning the Miss Macross title. But he couldn't help it. She was all he had ever wanted for a long time now that missing her and wanting her to love him had become a part of his life.

Turning away from her, Rick saw Claudia and his heart went out to her. He knew she was remembering Roy for she had tears slipping silently down her cheeks but didn't seem to notice them.

He wondered how she managed to smile everyday knowing her heart was broken. Claudia Grant was a lot stronger than he had given her credit for and for the first time, he understood why Roy loved her of all the women he'd known.

Everywhere he turned, he saw couples either holding hands, holding each other, or slow dancing to Minmei's song. He wished he could leave now for he had never felt more alone in all his life but knew he had to stay until the reception end. He was after all, Max's best man.

Walking to a viewport, he stared into the emptiness of space and thoughts of Lisa drifted through his mind. When he found himself in Lisa's quarters, thinking of her, wishing for her and coming to a conclusion that he could be in love with her, he'd panic and ran from her empty quarters like an idiot.

He ran because he was unprepared to accept the possibilities. Granted, after their date, he knew without a doubt that he was attracted to her, physically, damned she all but set him on fire!

But more importantly, he liked her as a person and loved being with her for she made him laughed. She inspired him and made him feel special like he was the ONE but… in love with her? That had scared him to death but now… the thought wasn't so scary anymore, in fact, it was down right, right.

Taking a deep breath, he wondered if she was okay and thinking of him too. He wondered what she was doing at this very moment. He missed her, he realized and cursed himself again for not being able to protect her. They had so little time together yet he felt like he knew her, had always known her.

_Take care of yourself, Lisa. I know you're not dead. Faith is all I have at the moment but it's all I need to find you and I will see you again._

Suddenly an alert siren began sounding, it cut through Minmei's singing and the mood it had put everyone under. Captain Gloval stood up and told everyone to move it.

_00000000000000000000000_

"Damned them! Damned them all to death!" Khyron yelled.

Frustrated beyond anything he'd ever felt before he tossed his helmet onto the table that Lisa's cage was on without care.

Created by the Masters to become a great warrior, he had survived every war he'd fought in and won countless battles without much effort. There was nothing greater for a Zentraedi warrior than being known that he was a 'great warrior'.

He knew he was destined for greatness. It was just a matter of time until everything he'd ever wanted-- including Breetai's position would be his. However at this moment, he didn't feel like a great warrior at all, not even a warrior for he'd failed once again to win a battle against the micronians. And he laid the blame squarely at Breetai's door!

_If only Breetai hadn't ordered a retreat… they could have won that battle!_ How he hated Breetai for being weak!

Not to mention that annoying bitch, Azonia who was always butting into his business and carrying tales to Breetai on his every move and decisions. There was nothing more disgusting to him than a tattle teller.

The crashing noise of the helmet speeding across the table and onto the floor sounded like an explosion of a bomb to Lisa's ear but she didn't care for the SDF-1 was still in one piece; her friends and colleagues were alive! There could be no other reason for Khyron's foul temper and she kept quiet.

"You!" he shouted and turned eyes full of anger and frustration on her.

"I hate you! Your micronian ways are making my men weak and foolish. Can you believe that some of my men had actually refused to fight? The cowards! And all because of this little toy that sings to them."

He threw the toy onto the table and Lisa could see that it was a toy of Minmei in a traditional Qi Pao however it was now crushed beyond recognition.

"And what is it about you that drive me crazy with frustration? Why can't I kill you?" he screamed and inhaled deeply as he picked her up from her cage.

"You're nothing, nothing, Commander, but a tiny bug that needs to be stepped on and smacked into the wall!"

"Stop!" Lisa yelled at him in panic and struggled to free herself from his tightening grip. "You're hurting me. Let me go, I can't breathe!"

Khyron quickly opened his palm as if realizing what he was doing and laid her back down on the mattress in her cell then turned to leave. He couldn't believe it that he almost killed her.

He didn't know what it is that kept forcing him to want to be near her but he knew whatever it is; it was strong and electrifying, almost as strong and powerful as the feel of being under the influence of the dry Protoculture leaf.

"Tell me what happened, Khyron." It was a statement, not a plea or a request.

She saw that he had stopped but didn't turn around and hope bloomed within her but it quickly died when she saw that he'd resumed his walking toward the door again.

Then, without warning, she felt the most absurd, unexplainable longing for home. Not the SDF-1 per se, but the manor in Maryland that was really home. The proud Georgian house with its rolling acres of cool, green landscape, half-quarter horses…and she smiled sadly, her eyes out of focus, remembering.

She blinked and met a pair of piercing purple eyes and quickly snapped out of her trance to give him a cool, collected determined stare back.

"Breetai order a retreat," he said quietly. "After he saw that the micronian pilots were disabling our pods instead of blasting them into smithereens. Why would they do that, Commander? Are they mad?"


	7. Seven

_CHAPTER SEVEN_

"Again," a faint voice from somewhere in the room said and Lisa didn't turn to look where he was or what he was doing for she was too tired to care at the moment. She just wanted to get some sleep and rest her poor hands. She hadn't played in ages and her fingers were screaming at her to stop.

"I'm tired," she said ruefully, "I'll play for you again tomorrow."

"No, one more time," he demanded dryly.

"Okay, alright already," she murmured, the nonchalance of her comment went unnoticed by him as she began to play again and he closed his eyes to everything else but the soothing sound that was coming from the little machine she'd called "a piano".

He didn't know how she got it to make such enjoyable, weird and fascinating sounds but he knew he just wanted to listen to it over and over again.

This time, Lisa choose Sir Elton John's _Candle in the Wind '97_, a tribute to Princess Diana and she hoped this piece would be the last one for tonight or forever if she had her wish for she was out of classical selections to play from memory.

How she wished now that she'd never told Khyron what a piano was when he brought it to her to identify yesterday; claiming that Grel had confiscated from one of his men who had just come from Breetai's flag ship.

She wondered how Rico, Bron and Konda had brought all these stuff back with them to Breetai's ship without anyone in Macross noticing it. But more importantly, how the SDF-1's sensor could have missed a fifty foot pod launching from one of its' launching deck.

She made a mental note to herself to ask the ex-Zentraedi spies these and the many other questions she'd developed since her captured as soon as she was back on the SDF-1 again.

As she played, Lisa became lost in the music; she'd forgotten how much she loved this piece. She didn't really care for the lyrics but the notes, they were something else; she was eleven years old and like millions of people around the globe, was watching Princess Diana's funeral when she first heard it. It had called out to her somehow and touched that part of her that had died with her mother two years ago.

She'd spent the next day searching for the musical score everywhere on the internet without success until three days later when she found it on Ebay. She could still remember the excitement of waiting for it to come in the mail and the feel of actually playing it for the first time on her mother's grand piano.

Since then, whenever she played it or heard someone else play it, it always brought back memories of her mother and the good times they had together.

Finishing the last note, Lisa turned to Khyron and saw that he was sitting quietly in his chair with his eyes closed as if he was really into the music and had forgotten everything else. She stared at him, pondering what this could mean and how she could use it to her advantage.

_Could my playing have the same effect on him as Minmei's singing has on Rico, Bron, Konda and the rest of the Zentraedi warriors who had defected? Could music be the bridge between our two races?_

It was obvious from his relaxed posture that listening to her play had calmed him slightly yet she knew him well enough now to know that Khyron was one dangerous warlord- calmed or pacing. He was clearly an intelligent being; his eyes absorbed everything they pierced. But he was also starkly greedy, impulsive and cocky. In her professional opinion, that was his greatest weakness and his greatest strength.

More importantly, she knew he would always be a threat to the SDF-1. Khyron was one warlord she would never underestimate whether he was an ally or an enemy. He was one of those people who would sell his mother to the highest bidder without a twinge of guilt if it would further his ambition.

She trusted him only as far as she could throw him which was not very far, considering she's the size of his pinky finger.

Stretching, Lisa slowly got up and walked to her lumpy mattress.

"God, what I wouldn't give to have a long hot bath right now and a hot cup of Claudia's herbal tea," she mumbled tiredly to herself then grinned sadly when she realized where she was.

"Rick," she whispered, feeling cold to the bone, alone and so very tired that she fell upon her mattress without another thought and within minutes she was sleeping deeply.

Unknown to her, the warlord she had been assessing for weaknesses had gotten up from his chair and came to pause in front of her, thinking how bewitching she looked when she slept.

She was unique in his experience, and remarkably invigorating.

He prized cleverness in an enemy or ally above all and in truth; she greatly underestimated her own appeal, believing she had no claim to beauty or cleverness.

Her comeliness was not readily apparent at first glance, he reflected, staring at the silky softness of her skin. There was a quiet, fine-boned quality to her features that he found soothing and enjoyable to look upon.

Perhaps in his resentment at being forced so many times to loose to the micronians in battle he had indeed misjudged her. She had a spirit he could admire, Khyron conceded, recalling the defiant tilt to her chin.

_00000000000000000000 _

"Where is Commander Hayes?" Rick demanded after Exedore had finished stating Breetai's reason for wanting an alliance and everyone had been excused from the conference for a break before convening again in two hours.

Slowly Exedore got up from his seat to face Rick. "I'm sorry Lieutenant, but I have no idea what you are talking about. Who is Commander Hayes?"

"Minister Exedore," Gloval explained, "about three weeks ago, my First Officer, Lt. Commander Lisa Hayes was captured by some of your forces. She was on her way to Earth when her shuttle was literally carried off to one of your battlecruisers."

"I'm sorry, Captain, but I have not heard of this. You see, three weeks ago, my lord Breetai was ordered to report back to our Supreme Commander, Dolza. We just got back in time to catch Miriya Parino's pairing ritual with her mate however; I do know who to ask to give you the answer you seek. I will look into this matter as soon as we conclude this alliance," Exedore said as he picked up his glass of orange juice from the table again.

Rick Hunter felt like shaking the frail-looking emissary until he did "get it" how important Lisa's whereabouts was however, the look Gloval gave him stopped him from taking another step toward Exedore.

Holding in his frustration, he nodded and turned away from them. Walking back to his seat he could feel the fury and indignation coursing through him like nothing he'd ever felt before.

_If you're hurt Lisa, I'm going to kill them, all of them! I don't care if they want peace or not! _

_0000000000000000 _

"Khyron, Lord Breetai is on the screen, sir, he wants to talk to you," Grel said as soon as he came into Khyron's ready room.

Quickly he stole a look at the micronian female and hoped Khyron hadn't seen him doing it but he couldn't help himself; all day yesterday and today, Khyron had literally ordered everyone not to bother him and locked himself up in this room with her.

Then they, everyone on the bridge had heard strange noises coming from the room, noises that left them all feeling weird and uneasy, noises that made them want to do nothing but listen.

"Get out!" Khyron snapped. "Tell him I'm unavailable."

"Sir, Lord Breetai said if you won't talk to him, he'll personally come on board and strip you of your rank," Grel said and quickly turned on his heel to leave.

"No!" he commanded as Lisa stopped playing. "This will be but just a minute, Commander, continue playing... please," he added and hoped the ridicules silly word she had gotten him to say would keep her playing but it didn't. "I'm tired," was all she'd said in reply to his request and got up from the piano.

_The infuriating creature! Why won't she obey him? _

Thinking about it now, he realized that she had never obeyed him and had never been afraid of him either. Right from the beginning, she'd been just as stubborn as she was now, even more and had matched him stare for stare without a care for her life. Maybe that was why he kept her around. She was such a mixture of feistiness and vulnerability; she amused him like no one before.

Letting out a frustrating growl he left her and swore he was going to teach her some obedience as soon as he finished seeing to what Breetai wanted. He hoped it was another plan to attack the battle fortress again; this sitting around, waiting and brooding was driving him crazy.

"Breetai," he drawled as he made a curt bow.

It was humiliating, degrading and it grated at his soul to acknowledge Breetai as the leader of this little expeditionary mission- recovering Zor's ship and the lost Protoculture Matrix when it should have been him. He should have been the one Breetai must bow to; not the other way around!

'Someday,' he thought to himself, 'someday very soon, Breetai, you will beg me for mercy…'

"Khyron," Breetai replied in a cool and distance tone. "I want her here within the hour or your rank will not be the only thing you'll be losing."

He paused and waited by crossing his arms in front of him. Khyron stared at Breetai for a long moment, scarcely able to believe that not only had Azonia rattled him out; she had also told him about Commander Hayes.

_Azonia, the bitch! I'm going to enjoy squeezing the light out of her eyes personally before we leave this pathetic micronian galaxy. _

"Sir," he said crisply, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Don't be an idiot, Khyron. I'm not a fool and don't keep me waiting," Breetai said and gave him another hard look.

"By the way, Exedore is on the battle fortress, on a diplomatic mission and if you do anything, anything that could jeopardize his well being or his mission; I will blast you into pieces all the way to Haydon IV without a second thought. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," Khyron muttered and reached out to cut the transmission.

"Sir," Grel said from behind him, "I'll have a transporter ready in 15 minutes."

"You impudent little--" Khyron broke off his words and suddenly his hands went around Grel's throat like steel. "Don't ever presume to know what I'm thinking about or you'll regret it. Do I make myself clear, Grel?"

Fear snaked through him and Grel could do nothing but nod.

_0000000000000000 _

Exedore returned the handset to its cradle and turn to look at Gloval.

"I was hoping we'll have more time, Captain, but it is not so. My Lord Breetai has just informed me that even as we speak, Dolza's Grand Fleet of four million strong is on its way here and once he realized that the Protoculture Matrix is no longer on the SDF-1; he'll kill everything in this galaxy including us- Breetai's force before leaving since we've been contaminated by your culture."

Gloval said nothing and everyone else around the conference table said nothing either.

"Captain," Exedore continued. "In the next three hours, your space will be filled with Zentraedi battlecruisers of all sizes, shapes and fire power beyond your imagination. You must prepare your ship to leave this galaxy as soon as possible. You can not win this fight. Your only hope is to run. My lord Breetai has recognized the importance of your culture and he will do everything in his power to help you. We will give you our fold system."

"No," Gloval said finally and he could hear the gasps of his junior officers around the conference table. "We will fight. We will not leave Earth defenseless. We have sworn an oath to defend our planet and defend her we will."

Exedore nodded wearily but smiled. "I understand, Captain and let me be the first to say, it's an honor to fight alongside your ship."

"Then it is settled," Gloval said, more to himself than anyone else.

_00000000000000000000 _

"Minister Exedore!" Rick called as he saw Gloval leading him out of the conference room and quickly ran to catch up with them at the door.

"Commander Hayes' whereabouts, have you looked into it yet? I need to know, sir. It's really important that she's okay."

"Yes, I have Lieutenant. Commander Hayes has been a captive on board Khyron's ship since she was captured. My Lord Breetai assures me that he will have her in his care and she will be returned to the SDF-1 as soon as possible."

"Thank you," Rick said with relief and turned to Captain Gloval.

"Sir, I speak on behalf of all the VT pilots; we are behind you a hundred percent. When the time comes, we'll be ready. We know what's at stake and are willing to give it all."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Hunter," Gloval said and felt a sudden déjà vu of another young lieutenant with the same determination, courage and giving him a similar speech and salute-- Roy Fokker.

Rick saluted until they stepped out of the conference door and watched it as it closed behind them before a smile of joy and relief spread across his face.

_Lisa's alive! _

"Let me go, Kyle," Minmei said loudly from behind him and he turned to see her walking away from Kyle and towards him. He sighed deeply then and mentally prepared himself to greet her.

"Rick, I'm …"

"Minmei," he said softly, the slightest tone of perplexity in his voice. "I understand. It's okay. It's not your fault how things turned out. I'm happy for you. I really am."

"I… I just wanted to say, good luck and take care." Her voice was faint but audible and steady. "I've missed you."

Rick froze for more than a second. _This just wasn't fair! _

"Rick?" Her voice was soft this time. It was tremulous and throatily sexy, it sounded just a shade unsure, just a shade frightened.

She was so beautiful; so breathtakingly beautiful. Her skin so fine, her eyes shimmering seas of blue crystals and she was so close to him that he could just reach out and touch her.

_God, he had missed her! But it was not the same as he'd missed Lisa this past month. _

"I've missed you too, Minmei, he said.

Then with a confidence he didn't know he had he continued. "You'll be okay. The whole world will be listening to you, today. Just sing your heart out like you've never sang before in your life. You're a star, Minmei, you were always a star. I believe in you. You can do it. I know you can and know that I'll always be your friend no matter what."

He gave her a warm sincere smile then and hoped she would understand too why he'd changed.

"Good-bye, Rick," she replied and he could see the tears pooling in her dark blue eyes. "Thank you. Thank you for everything. I'll never forget you."

She moved into his arms then and they held each other for a few moments before she turned and walk back to Kyle who was looking at them with agitation.

As he watched her and Kyle leave the room together he took a deep breath and felt as if a heavy weigh had been lifted from his heart. At the door, he saw her turned back once again to look at him and gave him a sad good-bye smile.

"Good-bye, Minmei," he said quietly as he watched the door closed after them. "You'll always have a place in my heart but it is Lisa… she's my future."

_When had he fallen in love with her? _He didn't care anymore, when or why, he just wanted to see her again and be able to tell her so.

A wave of longing swept through him and his heart thudded in his chest with happiness, excitement and anxiety at seeing her yet there was fear and apprehension too for she could be hurt.

_I'm coming for you, Lisa, hand on!. _

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"We will be annihilated once Dolza gets here. I will not stay around to die when I could leave," Khyron barked at her. "I'm destined for greatness. I must live."

"You have thirty battlecruisers under your command," Lisa pleaded, "joined with Breetai's and the SDF-1, we could have a fighting chance…" but Khyron interrupted her before she could finish.

"Dolza has over five millions and he'll bring all of them. There is no chance. There never was."

That comment stunned her speechless.

Impaling her with his glare, he gave Grel the command to have all his ships separate from Breetai's main fleet and prepare for a space fold.

Then let me go!" A wave of panic broke.

His dark purple eyes narrowed and he leaned forward in her direction. "You're not going anywhere but back to your cage if you don't behave."

He was so close to her that she could see his eyes glittering dangerously and she knew it was hopeless to beg. She bit her lip and suddenly wanted to cry. She wished she could wail, in fact and beat some senses into him.

The weight of her sorrow knew no bound and her heart hurt when she thought of Rick, her father, Claudia, the Captain, the Trio and all those people on board the SDF-1. She had never felt more heartsick in her twenty-five years of life. Loosing her mother and Karl didn't compare to the pain she was experiencing now.

Tears stung her cheeks as she stared him dead in the eye and begged anyway.

"I want to be with my friends and colleagues. I'm a solider. My duty is to fight, to defend my ship and my world. I belonged on the SDF-1. I need to leave, please let me go."

Hearing her begged angered him and he didn't know why. "No! I find that you amuse me, Commander and you will continue to amuse me..."

"Run!" Lisa snapped. Impatience, anger, frustration and helplessness surfaced.

"Go ahead and run and hide like the coward you are. I always knew you were one. My first impression of you proved true. You are nothing but an over-grown bully and a coward! Coward!"

The noise in the command room suddenly quieted and she gritted her teeth hard, fighting the trembling that had seized her. She wouldn't cower before him! She had never betrayed her fear, and she would not do so now.

"Kill me, then, and have done with it!" she challenged him. "Slaughter me, slice me to ribbons. I don't care! Do you hear me, I don't care!"

With that Lisa turned and began running toward the end of the command table but before she could do anything else, Khyron's hand reached out and caught her.


	8. Eight

_CHAPTER EIGHT_

He needed to be there to see and heard it for himself to believe it.

Stiffening, he moved from the entrance to a vantage point against the wall where he could easily blend into the crowd.

She was busy. Very busy working the crowd like a pro. And she appeared to be loving every minute of it. He saw her quick smile. Heard her throaty laugh and he wanted to strangle her.

_How long has it been since she'd smiled or laughed for him?_ Too long… two years, four months, two weeks and four days to be exact! His memory teased him with her smile, her touch, her words of tenderness and longing.

_Did she miss their time together as much as he?_ The teasing, the fights and the kisses…

To his surprise, he discovered that looking at her actually hurt. He'd forgotten how lovely she was. How expressive her eyes were and how unusual their color was. Like emeralds… sharp, brilliant and clear.

He noticed then that her once waist-length-honey-brown hair was shorter now for it fell past her shoulders only and his throat went dry.

_Damned her! She'd cut her hair just like she'd cut him out of her life. _

She was beautiful when she flushed and she was flushing now at some reporter's joke. _Damned she did have a sensuous warm mouth_… and looking at that mouth, he remembered how her lips had tasted, how they'd once passionately meshed with his.

A sudden surge of jealousy mixed with anger bolted through him and he winced. He'd come to realize over the past two years that he'd had never truly known loneliness until Lisa was no longer a part of his life. How he missed her. He'd even missed her bossy attitude and her tendency to lecture him.

Then without warning her voice jerked him out of his thoughts and he heard it…the words pouring out of her mouth that shattered all his hopes and dreams.

'Yes. I am engaged to Khyron…no we haven't set a date yet…'

He heard the cheers, the laughs and the talks in the room but he felt removed from it all for he was bombarded by a multitude of memories and feelings he couldn't describe or comprehend.

Sadness-- heavy and almost unbearable clutched at his heart and he felt like he'll never be able to breath evenly again. His insides knotted. Rage and despair ate away at him. He wanted to throw back his head and howl. He wanted to smash something, to beat his fists against something until he could no longer stand.

The sudden thought of Khyron kissing Lisa made his blood boil. He was just about to make his way to her, to put a stop to the nonsense once and for all when he felt a hand on his right shoulder-- stopping him.

Thinking it was Max; Rick quickly turned and was just about to tell him to 'butt out' when he realized who had stopped him.

"Later, Hunter," Admiral Gloval said and gave him a sad but 'this-is-not-the-time' look and waited.

Not knowing what else to do, Rick nodded in defeat and watched as Gloval pasted a smile on his face. He then straightened his shoulders, like preparing himself for a confrontation and walked briskly toward the stage where Lisa was with Khyron, Exedore and Breetai.

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"Hello, Lisa," he said.

She turned around and he saw her eyes widening in shock at the sight of him. He saw her throat work, saw her fight for control. He had to admit that she was good when she said in a near-normal voice, "Hello, Rick."

Hearing his name on her lips sounded like music to his ear and felt so right that he flinched. He could have sworn that he'd worked her out of his system.

_It's been two years!_

But in that revealing instant, he knew how wrong he'd been—and resented it. He'd been observing her for only a few hours, she'd spoken just two words to him. Yet suddenly the healing of two years was torn to shreds.

His mouth tightened in bitterness as he remembered the happiness of holding her and kissing her again after her release from Khyron's ship. Then the agony of having to listen to her as she coldly informed him shortly afterward, that what happened between them before her captivity was a mistake.

Pain as sharp as broken glasses shattered through him as he recalled watching her walking out of his life without a backward glance.She had given himno explanations, no sad teary good-byes. Nothing that would let him know what he'd done to drive her away.

He kept waiting and hoping that it was all just a dream. But she never came back or would be alone with him for more than two minutes in a room at a given time and refused to see outside of work. Then two months later, she'd transferred to Breetai's ship where she'd stayed until a week ago when she'd come back to finalized the construction of the SDF-2.

He remembered how he'd tried to call her, write to her and receiving nothing back. He'd even gone as far as begging Claudia for news of her and listening to the Bridge Bunnies' gossips in the hope that they'll clue him in on her whereabouts and welfare.

_Yes, he was pathetic! But he was desperate, lonely and confused_.

Finally after six months of hearing nothing from her to him personally or seeing her at all, he finally got the message and retreated to a lair of solitude, shutting the world and everyone out.

Oh, he still flew, did his normal patrolling and carried on everyday as if nothing had happened but that was it. Then, gradually, the healing process had taken over. The scars, raw at first, had healed and hardened. Now the pain was surfacing all over again.

"I'm glad you came,"Lisa said politely and smiled at him. Her smile was dazzling and it almost knocked him over but he noticed that it didn't quite reach her eyes. Her eyes looked tired. Empty. Sad.

_Sad? Where did that come from?_ He wondered, and froze as the waves of awareness rippled through him when he caught a scent of her perfume.

_Damn her, again. _

The air in his lungs seemed trapped as his breath failed and he struggled for control.

"Rick?"

"You look wonderful, Lisa," he told her quickly then pulled himself together and in a calmer voice said, "I need to talk to you."

She briefly faltered then quickly glanced around to see if anyone had heard him before saying, "I don't think that's a good idea, Rick."

_Not a good idea! For God's sake! _

He wanted to forcefully yank her outside or better yet kissed her breathless right there and then until she agreed to go anywhere with him freely. Then he caught himself.

"You owed me an explanation, Lisa," he said and hoped she hadn't noticed the desperation in his voice.

"Very well," she conceded.

Without waiting for her to finished, he said, "Park Café at midnight."

She frowned slightly.

"I'm not sure I can do that, Rick. I mean, I already have an engagement when I finish here."

Rick fought back fury and automatically slipped on the protective mask he'd learned a year ago to keep at hand for instant camouflage. It was a cloak of cold mock indifference that had - as he knew only to well - so often put many people off.

"I came here especially to talk to you, Lisa," he informed her. "Breaking one date with Khyron the Destroyer is not going to start a galactic war especially now that you'll be spending the rest of your life with him."

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Ten minutes later, Lisa Hayes watched Rick exit the reception hall and quick tears covered her eyes with a thin film.

"Something wrong?"

Lisa shook her head. "Just got something in my eyes, Khyron," she fibbed.

"Who was that guy that was talking to you?"

Lisa managed the facsimile of a laugh. "Him? He's nobody special. He's just a pilot under my command on board the SDF-1 a long time ago. His name's Rick Hunter, Commander Rick Hunter, now. He just came to congratulate us."

"Well then, have you tried these before? They're very good," he said as he brought the baked-bite-size pizza to Lisa's mouth.

"No. Thank you. I don't like them," she said quietly and excused herself.

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He was waiting for her as she waked into the café. Despite herself, Lisa momentarily lost her breath when she saw him. She hadn't forgotten how handsome he was and tears sprang to her eyes as joy and pain battled in her heart.

Determined to keep her feelings on an even keel, she took a deep breath and walked to his table.

Even from a distance she couldn't help noticing that Rick looked weary. She couldn't help but see the fine lines etched around his eyes, lines that hadn't been there two years ago, and the grooves of tension, also new, edging the sides of his mouth.

Regardless, he was still the handsomest man she'd ever seen. The mere sight of his thick black hair made her want to cry. Despite her resolve to be strong, she remembered the feeling of running her fingers through those wonderful stands far too vividly.

"I was beginning to wonder if I got stood up," he said with no trace of a smile as he stood up to greet her. "Please have a seat."

There were a number of late night people lingering in the café but no one paid them any special attention.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" Rick asked politely.

"Just tea, please."

"Be right back," he said and she watched as he walked to the service counter.

Lisa tried not to follow him with her eyes but she couldn't look away. She'd missed him so much these past two years. There wasn't a moment that passed that she hadn't thought of him, wondered what he was doing and wished she could be with him. She'd never stop loving him and she supposed she never will.

When he came back a couple of minutes later he brought a pot of oolong tea and a plate full of egg rolls and shrimp.

"Good job on retrieving the Protoculture Chamber. Max and Miriya told me all about it," he finally said.

"That was nothing," Lisa answered matter-a-factly. "Max and Miriya, and little Dana did most of the work. You should have seen them..." She didn't complete the sentence and Rick noticed that her eyes had taken on a faraway look. She was obviously replaying scenes in her mind and as he watched her, he wished she would share them with him.

As if remembering where she was, Lisa shrugs and continued in her no-nonsense tone. "All I did was kissed Khyron at the appropriate moment to add more drama and suspense to the "shock'n'awe" offensive maneuver developed by Breetai. The whole attack was his idea. He's amazing when it comes to war strategies and planning. I've learned so much from him these past two years and I have nothing but admiration and respect for him."

"Why, Lisa?" Rick asked interrupting her.

"Why, what, Rick?" she asked levelly.

To her amazement, she saw him flushed slightly and his tone became unusually defensive. "Are you in love him?"

Lisa sighed. "It's a long story."

He met her eyes, and Lisa saw that he was not going to let it go.

"Let's just say we're good for each other."

Rick shook his head. "Not good enough. Try harder, Lisa?"

"What do you want me to say, Rick? There's nothing to say. We belonged. He respects me and enjoys having me around. I… He's spoiled and a real brat when he's angry or doesn't get his way but on the whole he's a pretty decent Zentraedi. I… I do love him."

Lisa finished quickly and smiled but Rick sensed tenseness in her. Something was wrong.

"I don't believe you, Lisa," he said quietly. "You're not in love him. I bet you don't even like him."

The quietness in his voice was now replaced by an intensity that took her breath away. "Do you want to know how I know?"

Lisa suddenly felt numb. Numb, and so terribly fearful that she didn't dare look at him.


	9. Nine

_CHAPTER NINE _

"What do you know, Rick?" Lisa asked after a long silence, forcing a light smile and sat up in her chair.

"How do feel about me?" He asked and caught her eyes, holding her gaze, refusing to let go.

"What?"

"How do you feel about me, Lisa?" Rick asked again, this time his voice was soft and gentle.

"I don't understand what you're trying to get at, Rick? What do you want me to say?"

At the question, she noticed that his firm mouth had pressed into a thin line but he didn't say anything else back to her.

Silence fell between them.

"I want you to tell me that you love me, that you can't live without me and that you'll never leave me." Rick said finally. "I'm in love with you, Lisa Hayes. These past two years have been hell without you."

Lisa stared at him. Astonished. Shocked. Afraid.

She couldn't help but noticed once again, that his handsome features were drawn and tight. And terribly unhappy.

His sadness twisted at her heartstrings and tears stung her eyes. She didn't like seeing him this way. It hurt to see his unhappiness. She'd never meant to hurt him, only to protect him. She couldn't look at him so she looked away.

"Why are you suddenly afraid, Lisa? He kept his voice soft, not making accusations, trying not to intimidate but to himself he sounded both accusatory and intimidating.

"You're one of the strongest women I've ever met. You have strength, purpose, guts and could hold your own with anyone; including me." Taking a long swallow of his tea, he continued.

"Did you know I made it my life's mission to piss you off after our first meeting? I did it because your cool superiority grated my nerves like nothing I've ever felt before. Yet you fascinated me and that annoyed me because I didn't want to know you. I didn't have time for you. I didn't join the RDF to become your friend or anything else. You weren't my type with your superiority complex and frosty attitude. For a while there, I wasn't even sure whether blood or ice ran through your veins."

Lisa didn't move a muscle but her cheeks burned and she didn't know whether it was from embarrassment or anger. She drew four or five calming breaths, while mentally chiding herself for not realizing the risk she'd taken by meeting Rick.

"Then one night with you, Lisa and my life fell apart. My world turned upside down. Everything that I wanted before that night, I didn't care about it any longer. All I could think about was you, your safety and your happiness. What happen? You left the SDF-1 a woman who wanted to be with me and came back a freaking ice queen all over again. What happen to you, Lisa?"

She wouldn't cry, she told herself and fought for control. She had to be strong; she couldn't go back. There was no turning back…

Lisa brushed the tears from her cheeks, then catching herself; she quickly tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. It was a poor attempt at nonchalance but it was the best she could think of at that moment and hoped Rick hadn't noticed.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you, Rick, she said sympathetically as she turned to him now. "You don't know how sorry I am but nothing's changed. You have to understand that I was under lot of stress, we both were that night, and weren't thinking clearly. We just got caught in the moment…"

"Dammit! Lisa! What the--"

He saw her flinched and he stopped himself.

Calm down, Hunter! He told himself. Breath, count to 10, slowly… don't blow it! You need to be smart if you want to earn her trust and find out what the heck is going on.

"Haven't you heard anything I've been saying to you, Lisa?" he asked and gave her a sad smile.

A smile that had her muscles in knots and her stomach churning. In vain she tried to control the irregular beat of her heart.

_This was insanity!_ Lisa told herself, drew in a breath and firming her resolve. She could overcome her feelings. Or ignore them. She had overcome much tougher situations in her life.

"Rick, I—"

Before she could finish, he shook his head. "Don't apologize," he said. His voice sounded ragged and harsh. "Whatever you do, don't apologize."

"I wasn't going to."

"Good. Because I don't know what I'll do, if you say you're sorry one more time."

Silence.

"Do you regret being with me, Lisa?"

She met his gaze again. "Of course not! How can you think that, Rick?"

"Then, why?"

"Rick, this is how I see it. Before that night, you barely knew I existed. Your world evolved around Minmei. She was the love of your life," Lisa saw him shaking his head and stopped him before he could interrupt her. "Don't deny it. You've said it often enough and to anyone who would listen."

_How he hated that cool, superior tone of hers!_

He watched as she pushed her tea away from her, to the side before she continued.

"Against my better judgment, I came to see you. I listened to what you have to say. Now, it's your turn to listen to what I have to say and I hope after this, we can move on."

"I'm listening," Rick said dryly. "I can hardly wait," he added before he could stop himself.

The sarcasms in his voice angered and depressed her at the same time. Staring at him, Lisa felt the full measure of his pain and bitterness, like a weight against her heart. With a heavy sigh, Lisa began.

"You can't be in love me, Rick, for you don't know me. You didn't know me then and you don't know me now. A lot has changed in my life since that night. I've grown up."

"Is that a fact?"

"Yes, it's a fact. And do you know how I know you're not in love with me then or now?"

The quietness in her voice was now replaced by an intensity that took his breath away and he couldn't hold her gaze.

Rick squeezed his eyes shut and waited breathlessly for the axe. She was scaring him witless (shitless?) now and he didn't know what to do or what to say to protect himself or her.

"I know because you don't know what love is. You only want what you can't have, Hunter. "

Looking at him, so subdued and beaten by her twisted words, Lisa knew she had to get out of there—quick! Or she would not be able to hold back the tears that had welled against the backs of her eyes, in her chest and throat.

She quickly got up and had taken a couple of steps away from the table already when she heard him.

"I'm not a liar, Lisa," he said softly, the words edged with steel. "Don't ever again tell me that I don't love you."

Stifling a sob, Lisa squared her shoulders and walked out of the café without glancing back.

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"Captain Hayes, may I have a word with you?" Admiral Gloval stopped Lisa as she was on her way to her car, two weeks after her midnight meeting with Rick.

"Admiral," Lisa smiled up at him when he caught up to her," why the sudden formality? You've always called me Lisa, before."

"Ummm.. yes, Lisa," Gloval said, "I wanted to ask you how soon you think the construction of the SDF-2 can begin. I know what you said in the briefing early today but…"

"You want my personal opinion?" Lisa finished his sentence for him and he nodded.

"Everything is finalized, Sir. We can begin construction tomorrow if needed. There is nothing wrong with the blueprint and we have the resources. I estimated a month in the briefing because I needed to find a way to work around Admiral Chambers and Howard. You know, Admiral, how against they are with us building the SDF-2."

Lisa saw the Admiral nod and she continued.

"They believe that the resources should go towards building Earth's defense. Basically they want to use the resources to build another grand canon, this one, much more powerful than the one my father had built. They blame my father for underestimating the enemy's strength and for letting Dolza's fleet almost destroying Earth."

"I wouldn't worry about them, Lisa. Chambers and Howard are reasonable men but they don't respond well to long term plans or stepping out of the box they've built around themselves. I'll talk to them. I'm sure sooner or later they will come around."

"No," Lisa said and stopped walking.

"Thank you, Admiral, but I want to handle this. I can't keep running to you to solve all my problems for me. And you can't hold my hands forever, Sir, as much as I want you to. I think it's about time, I play some dirty politics, I mean what good is it to be the Ambassador of the Liaison between humans and Zentraedi if I can't even influence two grumpy old men to let me build a ship? Especially, when most of the resources are coming from Breetai…"

"How are you, Lisa?"

Admiral Gloval's question out of the blue caused her to pause and Lisa lost her train of thought.

"I'm… I'm fine. Why? Is there something wrong, sir?"

"No, nothings wrong. I'm just concerned…"

"Everything's fine," Lisa interrupted and glanced around to make sure there were no one else around that could over hear them. "I can handle it, Admiral. If I didn't think I could, I wouldn't have agreed."

Admiral Gloval didn't say anything. He just indicated that they should start walking again. When they reached her car he asked her if she'd like to get away from Macross for a couple of days.

"Depends, Sir, whether it's business or pleasure?"

"Business" Gloval answered.

"I'm listening," Lisa said and looked interested.

"We've received Intel that Azonia is on the move again. Two days ago, she destroyed a whole village on the borders of what used to be Colombia and Venezuela because the village had refused to pay her protection fees. Everyone and everything in the village was destroyed. No one survived."

"Oh my god!" Lisa exclaimed in horror. "She'd always given me the impression that she could be cruel but I never dreamed she could be such a monster."

_Damned, how she wished now that she'd never asked Khyron to save Azonia during their battle with Dolza._

"I should have let her die with her ship and crew! Khyron was right in his assessment of her. She's a cold-blooded-bitch through and through."

Lisa was so angry that she hadn't realized what she'd just said and in front of Admiral Gloval too. She was so horrified that she wished the Earth would open up and sallow her there and then.

"That's why I need you to go down to South America," Gloval said without a trace of surprise in his tone or mannerism that he'd heard her colorful language. "With your knowledge of her and what she's capable off…"

"I accept, Admiral," Lisa said without letting Gloval finished. "I'll make the necessary arrangements first thing tomorrow morning and you'll get a daily report from me once I'm there."

Getting into her car, Lisa closed the door and was going to turn on the ignition when Gloval stopped her.

"Lisa, your mission, is to gather information. Do not go after her yourself or put yourself in any unnecessary danger! Are we clear?"

"Yes, perfectly, Admiral!"

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"At ease, Lieutenant," Lisa said as she walked into her office and Miriya Sterling stood up to salute her.

Closing the door to her office, she turned the lock and stared at Miriya Sterling for a good long minute. She hadn't seen Miriya since their deep space mission to retrieve the Protoculture Chamber eight months ago.

As usual, Miriya was Miriya—beautiful, focused and no-nonsense when it came to work. She was without a doubt, the perfect solider.

"Thank you for coming to see me on such a short notice, Miriya. How are you?" Lisa asked in Zentraedi and Miriya smiled. A smiled that lit up her beautiful face and made her green eyes sparkled like emeralds.

"You've been studying," she said as Lisa sat down and gestured for her to do the same. "What else have you been studying?"

"Everything… history, language and war," Lisa said with distaste in her voice at the word 'war'.

"Tell me, how is Dana?" She asked, changing the topic.

"Wonderful. She's such a ball of energy that Max and I have to work extra hard just to keep up with her. She has Max wrapped around her little finger and she knows it too. I never imagine life could be this beautiful," Miriya said, and Lisa could feel the happiness in her voice. How she envied Miriya.

"Then you're going to hate me for dragging you away from her," Lisa grinned. "But I need you."

Miriya only shrugged and Lisa proceed to give her the short version of everything she'd learned about Azonia and her recent attacks. When she was finished, Miriya had an angry look on her face.

"When do we leave?" she asked.

"Two hours. Will you be ready?"

"Yes."

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Miriya gave her a concern look. "You can't blame yourself, Lisa."

"We've been here three days and I've learned nothing more than what I came here with," Lisa said as she stared at the death and destruction in front of her. "She has to be stopped, Miriya. This waste of lives is beyond unacceptable… it's, it's intolerable!"

With her shoulders sagged, Lisa fought not to clamp one hand over her mouth when she saw that even the babies were killed and burned. The urge to crawl off and empty her stomach was almost as strong as the rage slowly building.

Turning away Lisa made her way back to the ship Miriya had borrowed from New Haven Base to fly them there. Anger pounded through her with every step, knotting to her chest until she could barely breathe, feeding her hatred.

"I'm sick and tired of waiting for Commander Mak to find the time or resources to send scouts out to give me the information I need." Getting into the back seat with ease, Lisa put on her helmet as Miriya climbed into the front and did the same.

"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you intimidate him, Lisa," Miriya said mater-a-factly.

"The man has a brain the size of a pea. He's giving me the run around because his ego is bruised. He thinks Admiral Gloval has sent me down here to take over his command. And just for that alone I should report him but I'm going to hang him now for his negligent of duty today. It was his duty to protect these people yet he deliberately stalled and waited until it was too late."

"I second that," Miriya said as she busied herself to taxi off.

"Before we return to New Haven, Miriya, I want to do a fly by the area where her base is supposed to be. Do you think you could get us close enough without getting us shot down?"

Miriya turned back to Lisa and gave her an offended look for an answer and Lisa grinned.

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She crept to the front of the cave, and then darted into the shadows of the surrounding foliage. The first raindrops fell as lightning split the sky directly overhead. The air sizzled with the electric charge, while the brilliance momentarily robbed her of her night vision. She rubbed her eyes, drew a breath then dashed to where Miriya was.

Drawing a small collapsible grapping hook from her backpack, Miriya moved slightly to the south end of the opening of the cave. It took two swings before she was able to anchor the hook over the rock-hard mountain side. She tested it to make sure it was satisfyingly solid then waited, listening for some hint of discovery.

When none came, she pulled on a pair of gloves and started up the knotted rope while Lisa kept a watch from below. The climbing wasn't particularly difficult, though the rain stung her face and the wind made the rope sway.

Lisa watched as Miriya made her way up the rope to the landing on top. She had made the climb look easy and Lisa hoped it was. She had always kept in shape and had taken to training with Breetai and sometimes Khyron twice a week but since she'd come back to Earth, she hadn't have time to do anything but work, sleep and work.

Lisa was almost within reach of the landing when an explosion sounded nearby, sending bright light and showers of sparks into the night sky. Not wasting anytime, she shimmied up the last few feet of rope, hauled herself over, and then couched down with Miriya.

"What was that?" Miriya whispered once she finished gathering up the grappling hook and rope and tucking it behind some bushes and rocks.

"Not sure, but whatever it was, there was enough firepower in it to blow up a city."

Guided by instincts, they made their way across the landing and to a small tunnel that would lead inside, strait into where it was believed to be Azonia's headquarter.


	10. Ten

_CHAPTER TEN _

The smells that greeted them when they entered the cave from the narrow ridge were all unpleasant. There was an underlying odor of stale cooking and mildew, decay and something else they couldn't identify.

"If this is the place," Miriya said, "then it seems we're too late. It looks uninhabited, and as if it has been for some time."

"By design, I should think. If Azonia's hiding here, she couldn't afford to let anyone suspect," Lisa suggested.

"I hope she is here," Miriya continued with fierceness in her voice that Lisa hadn't heard in a while.

"Look! Over there to the far left, do you see that slit of light too, Miriya?"

"Yes."

"Let's go."

Taking the lead, Lisa found the narrow steps that had been cut in the rock's foundation; probably put there by some ancient civilization that at one time had used this cave/mountain as their home.

"Watch your steps, Miriya, this path is getting narrower by the minute and there are too many loose rocks around."

Thirty minutes later, they found themselves on top of a ledge and below them-- a busy open dock with hundreds of micronized Zentraedi as well as full height ones, all working together, outfitting pods and power suites.

Are those what I think they are?" Lisa whispered and took out her digital camera and began clicking away.

"Yes." Miriya's answer was firm and definite.

"How did she get so many Quadrano Power Suits? And where had she gotten the Protoculture to fuel them?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Lisa," Miriya replied quietly as her eyes moved to scan every inch of the landing dock beneath them. She hadn't seen this many pods and power suits since their battle with Dolza.

Looking at the Power Suits Miriya suddenly had a longing to be in one, to feel its speed and gravity as she danced through the air like a bird-- born to soar and fly! As much as she loved her Veritech, it was not the same.

She'd trained, grew up and made a name for herself in a Quadrano Power Suite and no matter how many planes or Veritechs she'll fly in her lifetime; she knew power suites would always hold a special place in her heart.

"Looks like Azonia is gearing up for a full scale attack, my guess would be an outer space assault. See those power packs being installed on the pods and power suites?" Miriya pointed and Lisa's glaze followed. "They give mobility and ease of turning around in deep space."

"I've seen enough," Lisa said after twenty minutes and took one last picture of the landing dock before Miriya and her slowly made their way back up the narrow ridge of steps; then out of the cave and down the rope again.

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"I'm sending Skull and Ghost, Lisa. Their ETA is tomorrow at 0900. I want you in command of the mission. I've briefed Captain Hunter on the situation, he'll lead any offensive measure you deemed necessary. Work with him, Lisa. Whatever personal differences you two have, put it aside, that's an order, Gloval said without pausing.

_Captain Hunter? Rick! He got his promotion! Oh, Rick…_ Lisa felt her heart leaped in happiness for him and she couldn't help smiling for she was proud of him.

"I want her stopped. We can not afford to have her attack the satellite station. Breetai and I agreed with you, she will make a run for the sizing chamber. She needs the chamber to restore herself and half of her troops back to their original heights in order to effectively operate the pods and power suites. Even as we speak, Breetai is sending a squadron down to you too so that should give you enough manpower and resources to successfully eliminate the threat."

Gloval continued.

"You will keep me informed of the progress. I want a briefing every day. I'm counting on you to handle this situation anyway you see fit. As for the SDF-2, everything is on schedule and Dr. Lang has proceeded with the building of the fold system. The SDF-2 is in excellent hand, Lisa."

"I understand, Admiral," Lisa said. "I will do my best, sir."

"Good. I know you will. I have complete trust in you. As for Commander Mak, I don't want you to relief him of his command yet. We need every able body we can get right now even if he's an idiot. After the mission, we'll deal with him. It's the mission that must take priority. You out rank him so deal with him. However, watch your back, Lisa. You've made an enemy out of him. He's not going to forgive or forget easily."

"I'll take care of it, Admiral, nothing is more important than stopping Azonia," Lisa said with a firm tone and she hoped she'd come across strong and in control.

Lisa saluted and a second later, Admiral Gloval's image disappeared from the communication screen.

With a trembling hand, Lisa slicked dislodged strands of light brown hair back into her chignon. She'd taken to wearing her hair up now, being that it was so hot and humid. She put a hand to her temple where a pulse throbbed painfully.

_I hope I'm not coming down with some bug… I can't afford to be sick now, especially not now! _She slumped down in her chair, feeling light headed and dizzy. _Food… I just need some food and a couple of aspirins… _

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Rick couldn't believe it that he was sneaking around just to watch Lisa going to greet Khyron. _How pathetic can you get, Hunter? Stalking her like a love sick puppy…_

Earlier when he, Max and the rest of his team had arrived, it was Miriya who had greeted them when he was hoping it would be Lisa. He'd missed her, missed seeing her and being around her.

Miriya had said something about her being busy going over protocols and standards with Commander Mak but he knew better—she was avoiding him, again.

Watching her every movement as she walked across the field, he had to admit that outwardly she looked beautiful, almost serene. But somehow he knew she was not feeling well. He could feel her tension in the way she walked and see her tiredness in the set of her jaw. Her eyes, brilliant emeralds, were haunted, shadows in the paleness of her face.

_Damned her! Why is she doing this? What does Khyron have over her? _

He tried not to frown, but his frustration level with her was at its end. Since their talk at the café, they'd worked together a couple of times but she'd remained cold and determined to keep everything between them professional.

However there were moments when she would look at him like she'd missed him, and in those moments, he'd felt hope. Then just as quickly she would turn nervous and distant like nothing happened and he'd feel despair all over again.

He was suddenly tired-- tired of walking on eggshells around her; tried of being in the dark. But most of all, tired of being alone, feeling helpless and lost. His infatuation with Minmei had been bad with its ambiguities and youthful longings but this roller coaster ride with Lisa now was unbearable and he'd had enough.

_You can't hide forever, Lisa, sooner or later, I will find out why you're choosing Khyron and when I do, I'm not letting you walk away from me again. _

Not wanting to see Lisa in Khyron's arms, Rick turned away and slowly walked back to his quarters before Khyron had even reached Lisa. Pain jabbed his heart like a knife when he remembered how it felt to hold her. Telling himself not to turn around, he forced his gaze on the building in front of him.

"Hello, Khyron," Lisa said as he approached.

"Hello, Captain," Khyron said and came to stand just inches in front of her.

While she stared at him not knowing how to greet him-- whether she should hug him, give him a peck on the check or shake his hand, he lifted a lean hand to her cheek.

He studied her. "You look tired." His voice was soft, full of sincerity.

"You've been away too long." His hand left her face with a slow, caressing movement. "I've missed our evenings together of you playing the piano for me."

"It's good to have you here, Khyron," Lisa said, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and moved back a little.

As they walked side by side back across the field to her temporary headquarter, Lisa felt sadness creeping through her, filling every part of her heart and soul. She was irrevocable trapped! She was in love with Rick Hunter yet she was going to marry a man, in this case, a Zentraedi she didn't love… all because of a promise—

She shrank at the thought. Maybe she had been too hasty in carrying this burden by herself; maybe if she'd shared her dilemma with Rick, he might have found another solution. Maybe…

_Oh, stop it, Lisa! There's no use in crying over spilled milk. Just wipe it up and move on! _

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Lisa took a careful sip of the coffee, relishing the warmth and the kick of caffeine as it slid down her throat. Looking out of her window she noticed that the sky was clearing, although a scattering of gray, wisp clouds still littered the morning sky.

_Good. No more storms. No more rain. _

Storms gave her such an unsettled feeling, and things were already unsettled enough. Since Khyron and Rick's arrival four days ago, they've done nothing but plan and hashed out offensive maneuvers from every angles and situations. While Max and Miriya were left to taking care of the resources needed to carry out the attack.

After today, she knew, Azonia would no longer be loose to prey on the defenseless and create havoc wherever and whenever she chose. Immediately she felt sooth. Her heartbeat slowed.

_Yes. She could do this. She had tenacity and grit; her plan would work. All her worries, planning and checking, then double checking everything again was going to pay off. She can't doubt herself, not this close anyway… _

"Captain Hayes!"

Glancing up, Lisa saw Commander Mak standing in her door way, looking gloomy and angry.

"What can I do for you, Commander?" Lisa asked and took another sip of her coffee, buying some time for herself to collect her thoughts.

"I need you to look over something for me, Captain, that's if you're not too busy planning your offensive move against the enemy," he said and Lisa could hear the distain in his voice. She knew he was doing it purposely to irritate her.

_Professionalism, Lisa,_ she cautioned herself and masked her facial expressions into one of neutrality.

"One of the VT," he continued, "has a homing device that does not belong to us. I've never seen anything like it before. I think its alien technology but you're the expert on aliens…. Anyway, I didn't want to put the base on red alert or conduct a witch hunt before you had a chance to look at it."

"Was it there before the recon two days ago?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Show me," Lisa said, as she got up and followed him to the hanger bay.

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"You're the traitor," she whispered. "But why? What do you hope to gain by—"

"You think you're so smart!" he growled and grabbed her arm.

Fury rose as she lashed back, jamming her elbow into his side, Lisa twisted out of his hold. But before she could make a move for the door, she felt something hitting her-- hard and then she felt nothing.

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"Christ almighty!" Rick groaned. "Where could she be? It's not like her to disappear the day before a campaign, especially this campaign!"

"What if she didn't leave but was taken, Rick?" Max said as he bent down to survey Lisa's desk, finding nothing out of the ordinary.

"What do you mean, Max? You know something I don't, do you? Tell me!"

"Miriya told me that Lisa suspect a traitor among us."

"What! Why wouldn't she share her troubles with me, Max? She used to, you know, once upon a time…"

Rick's chest hurt with the knowledge that he'd meant so little to her that she hadn't even bother to share her doubts and trouble with him, even as a friend.

"I'm in love with her, Max," Rick said and silence reign in the room for what seemed like a long time.

Finally Max sighed and nod. "I knew that, Rick. Miriya and I both knew it. I know it this doesn't help right now but she's in love with you too, you know... I think she was in love with you even before she was captured by Khyron."

Rick scowled darkly. "Then why is she with him? I just don't get it, Max?" He said it in torment.

"I don't have the answer, Rick, and Miriya doesn't know either. We are as puzzled as you."


	11. Eleven

_CHAPTER ELEVEN _

"Nothing," Max said. "Nobody has seen her since this morning and you wouldn't believe this but Khyron and Mak are missing too."

At that moment, Miriya walked into the room. "Two planes missing, Rick."

"Let me guess," Rick said sarcastically as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Khyron's and Commander Mak?"

Miriya nodded.

_She's not dead! She's a fighter, a soldier. She's alive! _Yet he couldn't stop the despair from forming a hard knot in his stomach and he suddenly felt helpless-- empty.

"Your call, skipper," he heard Max said.

After a long minute, he stood and took a deep breath. "We proceed as plan. Nothing's changed. Lisa wouldn't want it any other way."

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It was too beautiful to be real. Lisa knew that, knew it even as she dreamed. Yet she couldn't help but be happy and be filled with a joy so deep she had no name for it. And she had no name for the place in which she found herself either.

The garden was filled with a variety of roses in every color imaginable and sizes. The air was filled with their sweet fragrant scent and birds sang in green trees. A fountain played the melody of running water, and the sky, she noticed was as blue as an artist's vision of heaven.

The day was perfect. Everything was perfect and the beauty of it all stunned her. But that was not the truest beauty of the dream. The miracle of it lay in the child cradled in her arms—a child with blues eyes and dark hair. Quietly, she began to hum a lullaby to the child, this child of her own body.

A gate creaked, and Lisa looked up. Her heart, already so full, made room for another. He walked into the garden and smiled at her. Oh, how she loved him.

Lisa handed his son to him, watching the wonder in his eyes.

_Yes, surely this would be enough. He would never want to go away again. He would be hers forever. He would never leave her. Never. _

He met her gaze. She yearned for him with everything inside her, imprinting him on her heart, memorizing his soul.

"I love you…" she said and her lips formed to speak his name but her mind refused to give it up. She could not remember, no matter how hard she tried. And without his name… everything began to dissolve. She reached for him, for their child but her hands passed through them. He was leaving her…. _No! _

Voices dimly made their way to her. Lisa couldn't tell who the voices belonged to but she knew they were familiar—somehow. Opening her eyes, she tried to throw off the tranquil void of sleep but it was so hard for her to focus. She tried to move but couldn't and she quickly realized that her hands were tied together in front of her.

"Good. You're awake," a woman's voice said in a haughty tone and Lisa finally made the connection– _Azonia! _

Looking up through the screen of her lashes, Lisa also saw Khyron. The shocked of seeing him with Azonia must have register on her face for Azonia suddenly laughed.

"Surprised?" Azonia asked and lifted one of her perfectly arched eyebrows.

"Did you think that your influence was so overwhelming that you could cage him, Captain? Khyron's a warrior, a killer, a conqueror through and through. I didn't have to convince him very hard to change side. He knows as well as any true warrior who'd seen my plan that I will be victorious."

Silence.

"What's the saying these micronians loved to use at a time like this, Khyron?" Azonia asked without turning back to look at him at all.

"Oh, yes. Cat got your tongue?"

"How- how long have you been in league with her?" Lisa asked as she focused on Khyron's face, watching for any sign of emotions. She found none.

Khyron's handsome face was deadly serious when he answered her, it seemed alien, almost frightening and memories of her fear of him when she was his captive came rushing back to her.

"Azonia asked me a year ago to join her but I didn't see the victory in her plan until two weeks ago. I'm sorry, Captain but you shouldn't be too surprise. You have always known I can never be trusted. I will always join the winning side and this time, I'm afraid it's Azonia."

The last of the color left her face, and Azonia saw the transformation complete itself. She turned a dazzling smile full of satisfaction to Khyron.

"Come, Khyron, it's time. Their attack should take place in the next hour. As soon as we take care of this little inconvenience, the sizing chamber and the Protoculture matrix will be ours without much trouble. We will crush these micronians once and for all and be on our way to join the Robotech Masters where we belong. Our names will live on forever!"

"What about my command?" a voice said from the doorway.

Lisa turned and saw that it was Commander Mak. She watched as he strolled into the room, his face was flushed with anger.

"We had a deal, Azonia!"

"Khyron, will you do me the honor?" Azonia asked and yawned as if bored.

Sensing danger, Mak backed away, wide-eyed and wary but he suddenly stopped and snarled at Azonia. "You'll regret this, Az--" but he didn't get to finish his threat for Khyron had already broken his neck.

Lisa stared, momentary stunned by the sudden violence. But she quickly recovered and schooled her face into one of disinterest as she glared back at Azonia and Khyron, her eyes icy green.

She'd already given them too much ammunition to hurt her with. She knew that if she was going to get out of here alive, she needed to be in control of her emotions. Her training and discipline kicked into play and she suddenly felt strong.

"Thank you, Khyron. You don't know how much I detest turncoats." She said and even managed a smile.

"The pleasure was all mine, Captain. I haven't killed anyone in a long time." Looking at Azonia, he finished, "And I feel, wonderful!"

Turning away from them, Lisa made sure she was careful to keep her cold rage from showing on her face.

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"Come on, Captain, time to move." Khyron said as he cut the rope that bounded her hands and shook her out of her drugged slumber. "You're going to hear a loud boom in a minute or two and then everything's going to break loose, just like our last battle with Dolza. Can you stand, Lisa?"

"Yes. But—what's going on?"

"No time to explain, we have to get out of here!"

"No!" Lisa said and stood her ground. "I'm not taking a step out of this room with you unless you tell me what's going on."

"I haven't betrayed you. I needed Azonia to think I did…"

Suddenly they heard a loud whistle and Lisa felt Khyron pushing her to the ground.

The explosion shook the entire mountain. In the room and everywhere else that she could see, Lisa saw debris flying like bullets in all directions. She felt a stinging on her leg but didn't uncover her head to look.

"Now, can we leave?"

Still dazed, she nodded in agreement for she could smell smoke and when there's smoke, there's fire.

Together they got up and made their way out of the room and then through the tunnel that lead to the docking bay. Chaos, shouts and orders could be heard and seen—everywhere.

"Over there!" Khyron yelled above the noise and pointed to an entrance far right of the chaos and they ran toward it. Khyron was slightly a head of her and dragging her towards it for he'd refused to let go of her hand since they'd left the tiny room she'd been held in. But instead of going through the entrance, Khyron had abruptly stopped then dropped to the ground.

"Traitor!"

Lisa whirled to see Azonia leaning against the side wall. Her face was blackened by smoke and she was covered with blood. But there was a gun in her hand. A gun she'd just fired.

"This way, Captain Hayes," Azonia sneered and pointed for Lisa to move into a room, away from the entrance hall way. "You and I will finish this, one way or another."

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"I finally have everything I worked for," she said, turning to watch the hall way in which they would be coming. "I won't let you or anyone one else take it from me. I will make you regret the day you ever heard of me!"

Lisa heard in her voice the seriousness of her conviction.

"The Zentraedi empire is dead, Azonia," she said.

Azonia's face froze and in that moment, Lisa made her move. She had used the full force of her arm behind the blow and Azonia's head had whipped around as she thudded against the wall and slid to the floor like a broken doll.

Taking her eyes off Azonia, she turned to search for the gun. It was then that Azonia's boot came crashing into her chest, knocking the breath out of her and sending her flying back a couple of feet.

Lisa had seen it coming and had even expected it but that wasn't enough to give her time to move or to block the blow. She had no one to blame but herself for underestimating Azonia and now she was going to kill her.

"Bad move, Captain!" Azonia said in a hoarse, violent tone as she stood over her. "Now you die!"

From the corner of her eyes, Lisa saw movement in the entrance. Azonia must have sensed it too for she whirled around to face whoever had dare to enter her sanctuary and Lisa saw her pressing on the trigger.

Lisa didn't think, she didn't wait, she just moved. It could be Rick.

There was no pain, just a strange weakness. She pressed her hand to her side, which for some reason was hot, her skin burning, and when she raised her palm; even in the darkly lit room the thick crimson streak was clearly visible. Against her will, her fingers began to tremble. Slowly she sank down on the ground.

"Lisa," Khyron said. He was kneeling beside her when she opened her eyes, but she didn't understand how that could be. She saw him being shot by Azonia.

"Rick," she whispered. "Is he okay?"

Khyron didn't answer her, he just caught her hand and held it tightly; his strong fingers trembling as hers had when she saw the blood.

From across the room Azonia was angry. Actually she looked as if she was about to explode. Her eyes had gone ice cold, and a vein throbbed in her temple. Her mouth worked, but no words came out the first few tries.

Finally her muscles taut with the effort, she managed, "how touching…. I-- I never expected you to be so soft, Khyron. She's corrupted you! You're worthless to me now!"

Raising her weapon once more, Azonia's eyes narrowed with hatred.

Gun. She needed a gun. Lord, she was dizzy. Lisa searched wildly and saw that Khyron's was still in his holster on his waist. She seemed to be moving in slow motion as she made a reach for it. She knew she would be too late but she had to try.

When she finally turned to take aim but it was Rick not Azonia who was in her sight of fire. Lisa froze. Relief swamped though out her entire body.

"Lisa."

Rick's hand was gentle on her arm. "It's over. Azonia's dead. Let go."

She nodded and let him take the gun out of her hand. She saw him pushing Khyron out of the way as he formed a compress and pressed it above her wound.

"We have to get you to a doctor. Don't die on me, Lisa! Don't you dare!" He was cursing beneath his breath. "Where the hell are Max and Miriya? Why are they taking so long? Khyron! Go! Find them--…"

She heard nothing else.


	12. Twelve

_CHAPTER TWELVE_

Lisa was lying back against stacked pillows. Although her face was very pale, Rick thought she was more beautiful than he had ever seen her.

Then he remembered why she was in the hospital in the first place and his heart turned into a lump of ice as he considered the idea of her gone from his life. He didn't think he'd survive it.

He closed his eyes and fought a scathing anger that wanted to rip his mind to shreds.

_How dare she be so careless with her life, her future? What had possessed her to take such risks?_

"Hi, Lisa"

"Rick! I didn't expect to see you," Lisa said and her heart contracted at the sight of him. Staring at him she forgot why she wasn't supposed to see him—to be alone with him.

_God, how she loved him!_

"For me?"

Looking down, Rick realized he was still holding onto the bouquet of flowers he'd gotten for her.

_Idiot!_ He yelled at himself.

"Yes," he said quickly and handed the bouquet to her, hoping she hadn't noticed the flush staining his cheeks or hear his heart pounding joyfully at the sight of her smile.

"Oh, Rick, they're beautiful," Lisa said as she brought the bouquet up to her face and inhaled its wonderful scent of wildflowers and roses.

They're long over due," he said quietly as he pulled up a chair and sat next to her, his eyes never leaving her face.

Smiling adoringly, she lifted her emerald eyes, full of lively facets and sparks to the man who was watching her so intently. A spark of electricity leapt across the distance between them when their eyes met and they remembered… her last night on board the SDF-1.

"Rick… I—don't"

Lisa found herself somehow pulled into his arms and his mouth was on hers—hard.

His kisses now were not the ones she'd remembered and treasured but something more—it's as if she was the air he needed in order to breath, to live; as if she was his saving grace.

She felt as if she was soaring to the sky and joy filled her heart. This was what she'd needed, wanted and missed all these years. She couldn't get enough of him. Couldn't get close enough, she'd missed him so much, his kisses, his touch, his passion…

Automatically her hands locked around his neck, her fingers tangled themselves in his hair, her body arching up next to his and she kissed him back just as hard with a longing and desperation she didn't know she had until this very moment and she forgot everything, and everyone else but him.

Rick hadn't meant to kiss her like he was dying, at least not then, but the moment their eyes met; his brain had turned to mush. He no longer wanted to talk; he didn't want to reason with her, didn't want to hear her say that she didn't love him, want him or anything else. He just wanted her, period.

"I love you," he whispered and then framing her face with his hands he looked deep into her luminous green eyes. "I'm not sure how or when it happened, but there's no room in my heart or in my head or anyplace else for anyone but you, Lisa. I love you. I'm in love with you. Don't leave me again."

She stared up at him, stunned for she believed him now. _He did love her! Rick Hunter was in love with her!_

Lisa's heart felt as if it would burst. Oh, God, she was so happy, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry or both. _Rick loves her! Her! Not Minmei… _

_"_I didn't know," she said brokenly, and tears tracked down her face. "I'm such a— "

Then they both heard it, the door opening and they froze.

"Captains," Admiral Gloval said as if he hadn't just walked into a lovers' tryst or would be if he were two minutes later. "I expect the both of you to act like officers when I return," and on that note, he closed the door tightly again.

Horror and embarrassment stained Lisa's cheek as she frantically buttoned her shirt and smoothed down her ruffled hair, avoiding eye contact with the man she had just moments ago kissed like there was no tomorrow.

"Lisa?" Rick said uncertainly, not caring that he was bared chest or that Admiral Gloval had just walked in on them.

"Please," she pleaded, closing her eyes, "just leave, Rick. I-- I have to come back to earth. I can't think with you around."

Rick felt a sudden stab of elation. Maybe, he thought with rising hope…

"Here, Rick," Lisa said and handed him his top. He took it, walked a couple of steps away from her and pulled it on, and just in time too for--

"Lisa!" Sammie cried from the door and within seconds she was surrounded by Vanessa, Kim and Claudia. They were hugging her and talking all at once. They hadn't even noticed that he was in the room.

"We came just as soon as we could," Kim said.

"You look terribly flushed," Claudia observed in amusement and she turned, her eyes automatically went to Rick who was trying to make his way out of the room and within seconds, all eyes were on him.

"Captain Hunter!" the Trio chimed in together.

"We didn't even see, you, Rick," Vanessa murmured. "We were just so excited to see Lisa and-- "

But Rick didn't let her finish. "I was just leaving um…. Lisa, I'll see you later." With a shaky grin he looked at her once more with longing then swept out of the door.

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Lisa sighed. She was not in the mood to fight with him.

All she wanted since she'd gotten up this morning was to clean up her desk at work as fast as she could so she could come home and pack. Then take a long bath and sit down with a cup of hot tea, and watch the sun set. This was after all, her last evening on Earth for it would probably another two or five years before she could come back again.

What she definitely did not want was to embark on an emotional, and probably embarrassing, discussion with him.

She eyed him, the trust of his chin, and the way his thumbs were shoved into the front pockets of his black jeans, making it clear that Rick Hunter wasn't about to leave until he got what he was after.

Suddenly she felt unbelievable tired. It was as though all her mental and physical energies had carried her through to this moment. Now she and Rick were about to settled it once and for all. Exhaustion washed over her as she followed him to the back of the parking lot.

"You've brushed me aside long enough, Lisa. I know about your deal with Khyron. The Admiral told me."

"Few things are what they seem on the surface," Lisa muttered.

"Damn it, Lisa! Stop," he said with hushed violence and she knew she'd pushed him far enough because his blue eyes were almost throwing off sparks.

"What choice did I have, Rick?" she sighed in defeat.

"Hey, the choices were yours," he said, his tone short on sympathy. "When Khyron set you free, you could have cut him out of your life. Better yet, you could have turned to me and ask for my help."

Incredulity drew her a few feet back. "Cut him out of my life? How could I when he kept his part of the deal? I owed it to him to keep mine. He saved the SDF-1 and everyone on board!"

"You owed him your gratitude, and that's all," he replied. "You don't owe him your happiness and certainly not our future!"

"We wouldn't even be here today, arguing about this if I hadn't agreed to his conditions. Don't you get it?" The bitterness in her smile seeped through every part of her body, and made her movement stiff when she closed the distance between them.

"Dolza's fortress was crippled, he was sitting duck but he carried enough firepower to destroy an entire galaxy. And believe me he was not going to go quietly into the night."

The muscle in Rick's jaw tightened because he realized that during this time frame in which Lisa was referring to, Skull One had been hit and he had been knocked unconscious. Somehow he'd managed to regain consciousness long enough to land instead of crashing on Earth but he'd missed the ending of the battle, for he and Skull One had been pretty banged up.

Before he could say anything, Lisa went on.

"When we came back, Dolza thought Khyron had come back to joined him since he was the only one who left in the first place. This gave Khyron the advantage to find the weakness in Dolza's ship and fire upon it before it went supernova."

Rick made a dismissive gesture with his right hand. "The SDF-1 survived two years on it's own against Breetai's entire fleet, including Khyron. We could have survived Dolza too."

"I couldn't take that chance. Don't you understand, Rick? It's staying with him by force and watch everything and everyone I love die, or staying with him by choice, and give everyone else a chance to fight—to survive."

"So, you were caught between a rock and a hard place but that doesn't' excuse the lousy choices you made later. You could have told him "no" afterward but no, you choose to tell me "no" instead! You choose him. You're still choosing him!" His voice held no understanding or sympathy only callousness and anger.

She stared at him, tears stinging her eyes. She wasn't getting through to him. Her intent didn't matter; neither did her actions. Folding her arms across her chest, she turned to leave. She paused only long enough to murmur, "you don't understand, Rick. You can't."

He caught her wrist, yanking her to a halt. "Then explain, damn it! Make me understand how you can agree to become his wife when you love me—when I love you?"

_Don't you get it? It's because I love you that I'm with him!_ she wanted to scream at him but didn't. She tried to jerk free, but he only tightened his grip on her and she raised her gaze to his.

There was confusion in his blue eyes, and reluctance, and tenderness.

It would be so easy…. but she didn't.

"You don't know what you're asking?" she whispered.

He moved closer, until she could distinguish the heat radiating from his body from the late afternoon sun, until she could catch a hint of his cologne, until she couldn't think about anything but how very much she wanted to be with him forever.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that being around me again didn't give you serious doubts about marrying Khyron, and I'll do what you want," he told her.

"I told you, I don't have a choice. It's not about having doubts, Rick."

"No it's about duty and obligations," Rick interrupted her. "And Captain Lisa Hayes can never shrink from her duties or obligations can she? She is after all, an Admiral's daughter, born and bred to do her duty no matter the cost."

"Stop being so dramatic and sarcastic, Rick. You're not being fair." She had to make him understand. Had to. She lifted her fingers to his lips, the first time she had touched him voluntarily since the day he almost made love to her in the hospital. The light touch seared him all the way to his soul, and he trembled. He caught her hand and turned her palm against his cheek.

"Please, Rick," she said, her voice just above a whisper. "I gave him my word— my word is my honor."

Defeated, his handsome face was expressionless as he watched her go.

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"Lisa, how can you do this?" Claudia step forward and took hold of her elbow steering her to a chair.

"Forget your duties and obligations. You don't owe anyone anything but yourself. Live your life, not just for Rick but for yourself. If you get on that shuttle tomorrow, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

"Everything's arranged. It's too late. It was always too late for us, Claudia," she said and covered her face with her hands as she sobbed.

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"Are you ready?" Khyron asked.

Lisa took a deep breath and looked around her once again but this time slower for she wanted to remember them—each and every one of them for they were not only her friends but her family.

Sammie, Vanessa and Kim were crying and sniffing but they smiled at her when her gaze met theirs and she knew she would miss them, even their silliness. Max gave her a salute and Miriya did the same. In response, she nodded to them and she knew she would never forget them.

_God, how she envied them!_

Admiral Gloval gave her a slight nod and she smiled back at him with affection and gratitude. Slowly, her gaze fell to Claudia and quietly, they stared at each other.

_Oh, Claudia, I'm going to miss you so much!_

Telling herself not to cry she fought for control. Her jaw clenched as she grounded her teeth together to remain dry eyes.

_Tell him for me, Claudia. Tell Rick, I love him… that I have always loved him._

A single tear fell down her face and she saw Claudia nodding to her as if she could read her thoughts. Nodding back to her, Lisa turned and began walking. She was so focused on not seeing anything at all that she almost bumped into him.

"You didn't think I'll let you go with out saying good-bye, did you?"

Upon hearing his voice, Lisa became utterly still. It seemed that even her heart ceased to beat. She could not move, she could not breathe. _He did come._ She had not been sure that he would.

"Good bye, Captain Hunter," she finally said in a tight voice.

"Good Luck, Captain Hayes," he returned in a tight, strained voice and he stuck out his hand for a handshake.

Lisa froze for a moment; confused as to why he would want a handshake when decorum demanded a salute nevertheless she took his hand.

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Opening the note Rick had urgently folded into her hand at the gate she read…

_Lisa,_

_Seasons have come and gone. Yet you're still here, in my heart. I can still feel your touch, smell your scent and hear your voice everywhere I turn._

_All this time… my heart aches, still—for you. I miss you. I think of you every minute of the day and dream of you, every night._

_How can you be so cruel to leave me behind? Why did you make me fall in love with you only to have me watch you live your life with another?_

_It doesn't matter how long or whose wife you'll be; you'll always be here in my heart. Whether you're near or far, I'll wait for you. I'll wait forever even if I have to._

_Seasons will come and go. But I will love you forever._

_Rick._

All of sudden, she burst into floods of tears and embarrassed, she turned towards the window to hide her face away from Exedore and Khyron.

Khyron gaped. He'd never seen her cry. Not even when she was his captive and he'd treated her cruelly. Guiltily he stared at her as her shoulders shook with silent sobs, feeling uneasy and confused he remained silent.

He didn't like these feelings that were bombarding him for they made him feel weak and light headed.

"Umm… Captain Hayes, I deduct from your reaction that you do not want to leave Earth. Is this true?" Exedore asked out of the blue.

"No… no, it's always hard to leave one's home but I'm committed. The sooner we get to the satellite station, the better I'll feel. It's nothing, Exedore."

Nodding, Exedore turned to speak into the mic for the pilots to take off.

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Stillness came over him as he watched from the observatory window. He watched, prayed and hoped but nothing happened and he remained where he was until he couldn't see the shuttle anymore as it disappears into the blue sky.

"Good-bye, Lisa," he said softly to no one in particular but himself, "I'll always love you."

"And I've always loved you too, Rick Hunter."

Hearing Lisa's voice coming from behind him, he turned around and ran a hand across his forehead. He felt a little hot. Maybe he was coming down with something

_Summer flue? A cold? Brain fever? Yeah, his brain was all scrambled, fevered. That was it for he knew Lisa couldn't be standing in front of him she was gone. She had left with Khyron._

"Did you hear me, Rick? I said, I love you!" Lisa yelled and smiled impishly at him.

There was something different about her, but he couldn't put his finger on it. She'd never said anything like that to him since… well, forever! Feeling as if he were stepping off a cliff, he asked, "Lisa?"

He met her gaze and the tender warmth in those brilliant green eyes, the tears that swam in them, touched him as nothing else had ever since he found himself stranded on the SDF-1. It made his heart turn right over in his chest for only Lisa had ever looked at him with such longing, compassion and tenderness.

_It was her!_

His heart pounded so hard it intruded on his breath. He suddenly couldn't breath and had to take deep breaths just to keep from blacking out.

"Lisa! Lisa!" He finally said and crossed the few feet that separated them.

Lisa laughed and felt herself being held in his arms. He kissed her, his mouth warm and tender. They clung together, their arms holding the other close. It was a sweet moment. A moment to remember and savor. And they did.

"So," he asked, several minutes later, "what happen?"

_------------ Flash back ----------_

"Wait," Khyron said before Exedore could give the order and pulled on Lisa's hand, urging her to follow him toward the back of the shuttle.

"Lisa," he said as he dropped a kiss on her forehead, "You don't want to go with me this time, right?"

"I – I, no, I do want to,"

"You're not a very good liar, Captain," he said with a sad smile and with a lean finger, he turned her chin until she was looking straight at him. "I release you from your-- our bargain, Lisa."

Lisa jerked upright, her eyes going wide.

But before she could recover from her shock, he continued.

"Know that when I'm around you, you affect me strangely. It's something I don't have a name for. Before you, I didn't know that I could feel anything else besides anger and greed."

Dropping her gaze from his, she asked, "What exactly are you saying, Khyron?"

Khyron looked at her averted face, the feelings he felt but couldn't understand was flooding through him. He knew he should stop but something inside of him was pushing him to do this.

"I will miss you, Captain. I will miss talking to you, arguing with you and I will even miss that temper of yours but mostly, I will miss you playing the piano for me. However I know that I'm not going to die if you're not with me."

Lisa's heart felt as if it would burst.

"But you will… for him," he finished and cleared his throat.

Looking up at him, looking so noble and stoic, Lisa's eyes flooded with tears and a lump formed in her throat. His understanding was blinding, almost healing and she knew… she was free!

She swallowed. Then she scrubbed her eyes like a little child and sniffed back more tears but she couldn't speak. Finally with eyes shining like stars, she smiled brilliantly at him and said, "Thank you."

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Rick's eyes darkened. "The jerk!"

Lisa twisted in his arms, raining soft kisses on his face. "The jerk is history. He's gone," she said as she kissed his brow, his nose, and finally his mouth.

Lifting her mouth breathless moments later, she said, "I do love you, you know—so much it frightens me." She looked into his blue eyes, eyes that were shinning with love for her as her fingers caressing his hard cheek.

"You mean everything to me-- more than just simple words can convey. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you precisely how much I do love you, Rick Hunter."

"Are you proposing to me, Lisa?" he asked her.

Lisa chuckled. "I guess I am, Rick. One of us has to and if I wait for you, it might be forever. I plan to walk down the isle, not wheeled."

"Good. Because I accept," he said and grabbed her hand and started to run out of the terminal, pulling her with him.

"Where are we going, Rick?"

"Why, to the nearest church of course. We're getting married!"

-THE END-

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Thanks to everyone who reviewed and offered suggestions and comments.Much appreciated!


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